In Vietnam, at present, the area for dragon fruit (DF-pitaya) is about 45,450 ha with a total production of 587,968 tons and the average DF area per household is 0.5- 1 ha. Unfortunately, producers of DF have seen prices of fruits decline since the product mainly are sold to local consumption or neighboring countries. Recent concern over food safety, returns from pitaya could be significantly improved if small growers and exporters can gain access to new high value markets in Europe and North America. This could be done if Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) programs are in place. The development of safe horticultural models and implementation of GAP (GLOBALGAP, VietGAP) are becoming exaggerated together with its importance in the food supply chain. VietGAP was issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in 2008 and has become a priority and a compulsory regulation in fruits producing and market. T develop GAP, many topics need to be covered: (i) Field farmers’ benchmarking survey; (ii) Selection of a packer/exporter and farmer group for the Pilot; (iii) Development of the pitaya quality manuals for the farmers; (iv) The national personnel capacity building has seen practical GAP proficiency developed; there were three main production areas for pitaya in the Provinces of Binhthuan of about 24,191 ha with 430,120 tons, Tiengiang of 4,052 ha with 75,109 tons and Longan of 5,568 ha with 78,500 tons in 2016. By the year 2017, 10,083.5 ha had been certified for GlobalGAP/VietGAP. Of them, 9,700 ha from Binhthuan, 310 ha from Longan and 73.5 ha in Tiengiang province. In Vietnam, the quality systems for DF are formed from the central to local levels to manage production and distribution. MARD directs and gives policies to support the locals in producing DF under GAP standards, applying IPM on DF production in order to reduce the use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers, together with the increasing use of organic manure. The crop is affected by a number of pests and diseases with diseases causing the greatest losses both in the field and postharvest. The major field diseases in Vietnam are canker (Neoscytalidium dimidiatum), bacterial soft rot (Erwinia chrysanthemi), anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, C. truncatum). In this paper, more related things have been discussed.

Dragon fruit or pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) is an exotic crop introduced in the Philippines in the early 1990s. Locally known as “saniata”, the fruit has gained popularity in the country because of its health and nutritional benefits. The increasing demand for pitaya throughout the years and its reputation for profitability have encouraged more farmers to venture into its production. The crop is adaptable to local conditions and will bear fruits within two years after planting. Fruiting season starts early May with a peak during the months of July to October. The crop will bear fruit until November. Harvesting is done when the fruit exhibits a full color change from green to bright pink or red which is usually 30-35 days after flowering. Fruits are harvested using pruning shears and are collected in plastic crates before hauling to the packing area. Fruits are then sorted and those passing quality standards by the buyer are packed in fiberboard boxes or cartons for delivery to the local market. The fruit has a relatively short shelf life even at low temperatures and extending its marketability after harvest is one of the main challenges. Major postharvest problems include water loss and shriveling, decay, bract yellowing, and chilling injury. Being a newly cultivated crop, studies on maintaining the postharvest quality of pitaya and extending its shelf life is limited. Current researches are focused on shelf life extension using appropriate packaging and coating, delaying bract senescence, and chilling injury alleviation. Establishment of shelf life at different maturity levels, quality assurance protocol, and development of innovative products from pitaya are some of the potential areas for further research. Provision of postharvest facilities in dragon fruit growing areas must also be addressed to support local production.

Dragon fruit has been widely popular in recent years due to its fast growth rate and great adaptability. The stable price lately has also led more farmers to take part in its production. In 2016, the total cultivated area for dragon fruit in Taiwan was 2,490 hectares with a production volume of 49,108 MTs, on which a value of US$ 95,513 was generated. The export volume in 2017 was 111 MTs, valuing US$311.770.

The current major challenges of the dragon fruit industry are the overly rapid increase of planted area and production volume. The prospect of joining CPTPP and the tariff lowering that follows are also drawbacks in the industry. To increase competitiveness, it would be critical to improve the quality, product safety, and overall marketing stability. Establishing quality production clusters, introducing superior varieties and techniques, assisting farmers in technique improvement with onsite demonstration sessions by Technical Service Groups are some of the ways to increase the share of high quality fruits and supply consistency. Other measures like promoting organic cultivation and TAP (Traceable Agricultural Products) system would make producers accountable for their products and in turn ensure fruit safety. This way domestic fruits can be better differentiated from the imports. In terms of export, dealers are encouraged to make contracts with farmers on later production that are managed on a registry system. In addition, facilities (equipment) throughout the supply chain will also see improvement for greater competitiveness.