Spotlight: Sapodilla from the Southern Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Sapodilla or Manilkara zapota is a tropical fruit that can be found grown in South East Asia, South Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. It is believed to have been originated from the Yucatan and Southern parts of Mexico, and later spread to other countries around the Equatorial belt. There are numerous cultivars of the fruit developed in the different countries.

 

The tree grows to 3-4 m tall. The elliptic to ovate leaves are light green to pink when young, turning dark green and glossy when mature. The sweet brown fruit has been described as ‘a small potato’, ‘a small tomato’, ‘a round kiwi fruit’, or ‘a soft elongated tan egg’.

 

When it comes to developing a superior sapodilla cultivar, Vietnam is no exception. The most popular cultivar is the Mac Bae variety, which is grown in areas around the Southern Mekong Delta.

 

At Kim Son village, in Chau That Thanh Province, Tien Giang, there are altogether about 1,500 farmers, growing sapodilla as a main fruit crop on 800 ha of ex paddy land. The sapodilla is sometimes intercropped with citrus. Most of the trees are more than 20 years old and the average yield is about 80 tons per hectare. For an area the size of 2,500 sq metres, the farmer is able to earn about USD 14,420 a year.

 

Even though sapodilla can be harvested twice a month for the whole year, the peak months are from December to March, where harvesting is more frequent.

 

The farmers sell the sapodilla at 15,000 VND per kg, which is equivalent to USD 0.70. The harvested fruits are first cleaned with cloth soaked in lime water to smoothen the rough surface before they are sold to the wholesalers.

 

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