Thanh Ha litchis have been sold well in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and picky foreign markets. Photo: vaithieuthanhha.net.vn

The Thanh Ha litchi festival 2019 opened in the northern province of Hai Duong province on May 26 to promote the local fruit.

Boasting 30 booths displaying litchis, other local fruits and tourism products, the festival is hoped to develop an agricultural production chain by connecting suppliers and businesses.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen An Cuong said the province has some 11,000 hectares under litchi trees, mostly in Thanh Ha district and Chi Linh city.

Thanks to the province’s efforts to improve litchi production and enhance trade promotion, local litchis have sold well in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and picky foreign markets.

Cuong said Hai Duong province always welcomes businesses who want to get involved in the litchi trade.

Thanh Ha litchi received geographical indication from the Ministry of Science and Technology’s National Office of Intellectual Property in 2007. Five years later, Thanh Ha district began VietGAP and GlobalGAP cultivation for its litchi areas, and now most of its litchi is grown to those two standards.

Besides, the district is maintaining nine plantation models on 92.68 hectares, aiming to produce litchis for the US, Australian and EU markets.

The Thanh Ha litchi crop is estimated to yield some 18,000 tonnes this year. Some 500 kilogrammes have been exported to the UK so far. Next week, local litchis will be shipped to Russia, Germany, France, the Republic of Korea and Indonesia.

Last year, the district gained 600 billion VND (25.8 million USD) from selling more than 40,000 tonnes of litchis overseas.

The district plans to organise a Thanh Ha litchi month in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and work with Hanoi small and medium-sized association to label origin-tracing stamps on the fruits.

VNA/VNP