Honey Passion Fruit

Passion fruit, also known as Granadilla or Giant Granadilla, is a tropical fruit native to South America, particularly Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Its fruit is round, green when young, and turns purple, yellow, or orange when ripe, depending on the variety. Its unique flavor makes passion fruit popular for both fresh consumption and processing.

From Tart to Sweet: The Evolution of Passion Fruit

Passion fruit was first introduced to Thailand in 1955. The yellow passion fruit variety became one of the main types popular for commercial cultivation, especially in the juice industry, due to its high yield, thick skin, and resistance to diseases and pests. Traditionally, this variety had a very sour taste, so it was primarily used for juice processing rather than fresh consumption.

However, the world has now been introduced to Honey Passion Fruit, a new yellow variety specifically developed to surpass the traditional yellow passion fruit. Its key features include an exceptionally sweet taste, a fragrant aroma reminiscent of honey, firm flesh, and a smooth golden-yellow color. These qualities allow it to be consumed fresh without needing added sugar, completely transforming the passion fruit eating experience.

Originating in Taiwan, Cultivated in Thailand

Taiwan is the country that developed the yellow Honey Passion Fruit variety, with breeding improvements tailored to the climate and market demands of Asia, where a sweet taste and fragrant aroma are highly valued. Thailand began experimenting with cultivating Honey Passion Fruit from Taiwan over the past 2-3 years, starting with farmer groups in Chiang Mai and Ratchaburi provinces, areas with strong potential for tropical fruit cultivation.

Cultivation and Care: Keys to Quality Production

Growing and caring for yellow Honey Passion Fruit in Thailand requires attention to several aspects

• Spacing: Plants are spaced approximately 1 meter apart, allowing about 400 plants per rai (0.4 acres).
• Mulching: The base of the plants is covered with black plastic sheeting to reduce weeds and retain soil moisture.
• Trellising: Steel wires and bamboo stakes are used to support the vines as they grow.
• Watering System: A drip irrigation system is used, with watering twice daily (morning and evening) to ensure consistent and adequate hydration.
• Pruning: Regular pruning of leaves and branches is essential to keep the canopy open, reduce humidity, and minimize disease risk.

Particular attention must be paid to fungal diseases, especially during the rainy season. Consistent pruning helps maintain plant health and allows for continuous harvesting throughout the year. The period from pruning the shoots to fruit production is approximately 100-110 days.

Economic Potential: A High-Value Fruit

One yellow Honey Passion Fruit plant yields about 1 kilogram of fruit per cycle. The annual yield per rai is approximately 20,000 kilograms, which is a significant volume. The farm-gate price is around 100 baht per kilogram, a relatively good price for farmers.

Following successful trial cultivation, Honey Passion Fruit quickly gained popularity due to its sweet taste, honey-like aroma, and ease of fresh consumption without added sugar. It is highly suitable for the health-conscious market and those seeking naturally sweet fruits. This success has allowed farmers cultivating Honey Passion Fruit to generate good income, thanks to its high selling price and consistent market demand.

Yellow Honey Passion Fruit holds high economic potential due to its uniquely sweet and fragrant taste, making it desirable in both domestic and international markets. Farmers in various regions, such as Ratchaburi province, have begun cultivating this variety for sale in fresh markets and for processing into various products like passion fruit juice, jam, and desserts, thereby adding value and expanding market channels for this fruit.