With an abundant yield of grape on a trial basis in the villages of Nyaung U township, Mandalay, the local farmers are expecting to have the good price in the local market and earn a high profit, said U Yan Naing Tun, a grapevine grower, who has grown one and a half acres of grape in Thit Taung village.
The grapevine grown in Myanmar are not Myanmar origin species but the foreign grape varieties. There are more than 40 grape species. The grapevine could be grown in every region where there has easy access to the water supply. Some areas, which grow the grape on an experimental basis, prioritize developing the robust grape species that can withstand the healthy weather condition. Once the growers have experience in grape cultivation, they will share the farming methods to grow suitable quality grape species, said Ko Min Set Paing from Yamethin township, who shares the grape cultivation methods across the country.
To grow the grape, I started engaging with Ko Min Set Paing, who is sharing the cultivation methods in Yamethin township. Then, I have planted No.3 Italy grape in February. The grape in the nursery cost K 500 per plant and K 700 per plant to reach the farmland, said U Hla Ngwe, a local grape farmland owner.
After cultivating for ten months, it started to blossom the fruit. For the first time, a grape tree has yielded only five visses of grape. The third-year- term trees or five-year- term trees can produce 15 or 20 visses fruit. Therefore, the farmland owners expect to get a high price for the grape.
The grapes are a hardy perennial, and it can live 20 or 30 years. After yielding, the branches of the grape tree are cut and sold. The grape could be picked up every four months. The tree needs to have sufficient water. Currently, five growers have started cultivating the grape on a trial basis. The grape price is different depending upon fruit size and species. The local growers from Latpanchaypaw and Thit Taung village tracts are growing black queen (BQ) species and No. 3 Italy grape species on a trial basis. Its trial grape cultivation has succeeded, and it is expected to have a high price. — Win Htein ( Nyaung U District – IPRD)/GNLM