Dragonfruit Diplomacy as New Zealand Science Cultivates Vietnam’s Crops & Its Own Future

LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE

“Truth is, I didn’t like the taste of the fruit,” says Satish Kumar, Principal Scientist for Tree Crops at Plant & Food Research New Zealand (Shown left), with a smile. “And that gave me a challenge - could we improve it (the dragonfruit)”

That challenge has turned into a multi-decade, cross-oceans partnership now reshaping tropical fruit production in Southeast Asia and potentially laying the groundwork for a whole new horticultural future in the upper North Island of New Zealand.

Since 2000, New Zealand has been quietly helping to transform Vietnam’s dragon fruit industry. What began as a New Zealand Aid initiative has matured into a major research and breeding programme involving Plant & Food Research, SOFRI (the Southern Horticultural Research Institute of Vietnam), and commercial partner VentureFruit. The goal? Develop tastier, longer-lasting, disease-resistant dragon fruit that benefit growers, shippers, and snackers alike.

But the payoff hasn’t just been for Vietnam.

As weather patterns change and subtropical zones creep southward, dragon fruit, alongside pomelo and other heat-loving crops, are being eyed as future contenders for commercial planting in regions like Northland. “We don’t (commerically) grow tropical fruit here, yet,” says Satish Kumar. “But collaborating with Vietnam gives us the knowledge and insight to think ahead. Northland’s climate in 10 or 20 years might be very different. We’re learning now, so we can grow what works then.”

Source: Various Dreamstime - Dragonfruit Flower (top) whole mature Dragonfruit below.

That knowledge transfer goes both ways. Vietnamese scientists gain access to world-class breeding, post-harvest and production insights from New Zealand, while Kiwi researchers get the chance to work hands-on with a crop that could be a vital part of New Zealand’s horticultural diversification strategy.

Emma Brown, General Manager of Plant Varieties at Plant & Food Research, says the project is a textbook case of science-led diplomacy. “We’ve helped improve fruit quality, flavour, shelf life, and disease resistance. But we’ve also built lasting partnerships that benefit everyone in the value chain, from farmers in Vietnam to potential growers here in New Zealand.”

That includes three new dragon fruit varieties now licensed for commercial use, each with improved flavour profiles and tolerance to the devastating Canker disease once threatening the entire Vietnamese industry.

Back home, small trial plantings of dragon fruit are already popping up in warmer pockets of the North Island. While commercial production is still years away, the science is in place and the fruit, quite literally, is beginning to ripen.

This joint effort was recently recognised as a finalist in the 2025 Science New Zealand Awards for Collaboration for Impact. But for Satish Kumar, the real reward lies elsewhere. “We’re not just breeding fruit,” he says. “We’re breeding opportunity.”

Audio Sponsors Link

ENDS: