Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment Vu Duc Thuan said Son La has maintained 15 safe longan farming areas, producing about 5,000 tonnes of longan
certified by VietGAP annually. Of which, 1,500 tons are granted exportation codes to the United States, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and other ASEAN countries.
The festival had 20 kiosks featuring longan, as well as other fruits, vegetables, and processed food products of Son La. These include many VietGAP and GlobalGAP-
certified products, namely the longan, mango, avocado, banana, luffa, red dragon fruit, cabbage, tomato, garlic, and green pea.
In addition, organisers set up a special stall to introduce some off-season vegetables from the province’s Van Ho district, including cabbage, wild bean, chayote, tomato, and gourd. These products were grown under a programme “Support Farmers in Van Ho district, Son La province”, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the Central Group Vietnam which looks to foster the development of off-season vegetable farming and improve the livelihood for smallholders in the northwestern mountainous region.
At present, Son La has 60 cooperatives which plant longans on an area covering more than 950ha, including 12 cooperatives which have been awarded the VietGAP certificate, with an estimated output of 1,594 tonnes. Around 61.3 hectares have been granted area codes to grow longans for export to the U.S., Australia, the Republic of Korea and ASEAN with an output of around 500 tonnes.
Son La is maintaining 27 chains of safe fruit, including 13 chains of safe longans on an area of 457 hectares with an output of 4,012 tons, 2,000 tonnes of which are certified by VietGap.
The event finished on July 27.