Temperate fruits in the northern mountainous region: scientific results achieved and solutions for development in coming years

Perennial fruit crops generally and temperate fruits in particular make an important contribution to the sustainable development of the socio-economy in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam where the living standard of local farmers - 40% of whom are minorities from 30 groups - is still low (about 70% of the average of the country as a whole), though significant assistance has been made by the government and a slowly developed socio-economy has been recorded. It is obvious that proper temperate fruit production not only benefits local growers but also protects the environment in a significant way. Recent results concerning varietal selection and cultivation technologies for temperate fruits are summarized in this paper and some of the principal solutions, including proper planning, breeding programme enhancement, the establishing of production and value chains, and the training of skillful technicians and producers that is aimed at promoting production in the future, are also proposed.