Xuất bản thông tin Xuất bản thông tin

Cầu Đúc was the name of a bridge on Cái Lớn river, connecting the two provinces Hậu Giang and Kiên Giang. Built in 1930 by the French colonists, it has been rebuilt and now named Cái Tư bridge of Hoả Tiến commune, Vị Thanh city. According to the elders here, Cầu Đúc pineapple has been produced since the 1930s by Chinese settlers who brought the variety along. At the time, goods were gathered and exchanged at Cầu Đúc bridge. Since then, the name “Cầu Đúc” pineapple was used to differentiate from pineapples of other areas. The name Cầu Đúc therefore has existed for more than 90 years. It has been a famous brand of Hậu Giang province. The pineapple here is well known across six provinces of Cochinchina for nearly a century for its sweet taste and crunchy texture along with the name of nowadays Vị Thanh city. This is also the flagship agricultural product of Vị Thanh city and Long Mỹ district, contributing to the increase of income for local people and becoming a force for the development of new rural area. In many consecutive years, Cầu Đúc pineapple was nominated as one of the ten flagship products of Hậu Giang province, and one of the three strategic products that requires intensive development. 

 

Picture 1: Cầu Đúc pineapple(B) comparing to other pineapples. 

  

Cầu Đúc pineapple is of Queen variety. It has vertical cylinder shape, deep yellow colour, multiple protruding eyes, deep eye holes, faint aroma, and sweet taste. The size of Cầu Đúc is large, the weight is 1.14 – 1.42 kg per fruit, the diameter is 13.20 – 17.65 cm, and the height is 16.46 – 20.74 cm. Each fruit has 113 – 117 eyes and the edible portion is 64 – 76 %. Additionally, Cầu Đúc pineapple has the following peculiarity: total soluble dry matter of 14.04 – 16.16 obx; total sugar content of 8.81 – 11.49 %; total acidic content of 0.52 – 0.78 %; and Vitamin C content of 27.70 – 37.70 mg/100 g. 

The reputation and peculiar characteristics of Cầu Đúc pineapple are thanks to the natural conditions of the geographical area. The area has a low altitude at 1 meter and a highly diverse system of man-made ditches and canals. There are two main types of soil, which are Proto-Thionic Fluvisols and Orthi-Thionic Fluvisols with heavy mechanical composition (clay percentage of over 50%). The soil has good water retention, allows the pineapple to avoid drought during the development. The soil has high porosity, allowing the root to development deeply and widely, providing nutrition for the plant. Moreover, the soil for Cầu Đúc pineapple has high soluble cation (Mg2+ > 2,87 meq/100g of soil) and total organic carbon content at medium to rich (4,79 – 5,92%), resulting in the sweet taste, juiciness and resistance against diseases of Cầu Đúc pineapple. 

Cầu Đúc pineapple production area has two distinctive seasons: rainy season (May to November) and dry season (December to April). The annual average temperature is 27 °C, annual average humidity is 81%, temperature variance between day and night in rainy season is 5 – 6 °C, and in the dry season is 3 - 4 °C. All of these conditions are suitable for the development of pineapple. Rainy season’s average rainfall is 289.6 – 499.5 mm, during the nutrition accumulation of pineapple. Therefore it directly impacts the size, weight and water content of the fruit. The average rainfall during dry season is 12 – 160.5 mm, which is suitable for product preservation. Monthly total hour of sunlight averages at 218.39 hours per month, or 7.3 hours per day throughout the year. The monthly hour of sunlight is consistent and suits the nature of light seeking pineapple. 

Aside from the natural conditions, the planting and tending techniques are also a factor for the quality of Cầu Đúc pineapple. Cầu Đúc farmers selects the plants of Queen variety originating in Hậu Giang, disease-free, from healthy parent plants and has green and healthy leaves. The timing for planting pineapple is June to July for main season and October to November for off season harvest. Pineapples are planted into lots with surrounding ditches. Pineapples are planted into double rows with the density of 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 m (30,000 plants per hectare on average). Furthermore, the pineapple field also has dikes for flood and corrosion prevention, and wind shielding trees on the main line. 

 

Picture 2: Cầu Đúc pineapple field 

  

When the plant has at least 55 leaves (equivalent to 8.5 months old), the producer will use CaC2 to stimulate the blooming, prevent sunburn on the fruit by shading trees combining with dried grass and hay or pulling up the leaves to cover the fruit if the leaves are long enough. Pineapple will be replanted after at least 2 seasons and at most 3 seasons. The harvest season of Cầu Đúc pineapple is February to March (main season) and July to August (off season). 

 

Picture 3: Harvesting Cầu Đúc pineapple 

  

Geographical area: Vĩnh Viễn A commune of Long Mỹ district; ward VII and the communes of Vị Tân, Hỏa Lựu, Tân Tiến and Hỏa Tiến of Vị Thanh city, Hậu Giang province./. 

  

Center for Examining Geographical Indication and International Trademark