Flowers in full bloom and fruits and fish are abundant in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap, all people can feel that springtime is coming to the province. Moreover, the springtime also brings bumper crop and prosperity to all locals in Dong Thap after hard working days.
Visitors take a photo in a tangerine orchard (Photo: SGGP)
Most of flowers and fruits of Dong Thap Province will be transported to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption.
Many visitors were overwhelmed with the beauty of tangerine orchards at harvest time in Lai Vung District which has been known as the kingdom of tangerine in the Mekong Delta. Local farmers chiefly earn a living by growing pink tangerine and join hands with tourism companies to arrange exotic sightseeing tours for holiday-makers.
Throngs of holiday-makers from HCMC are flocking to Lai Vung to witness the ripening season of pink tangerine.
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Vo Phuong Thuy said that because of diseases including yellow leaves and rotten root, the cultivation land for the fruit in Lai Vung District has shrunken continuously recently. In 2020, the fruit was grown in 300-400ha with the total yield of 3,000-4,000 tons during Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year ), a sharp decline of 70 percent in the cultivation land and output against the prior year.
Dong Thap Province authority has planned to restore the cultivation land for tangerine in Lai Vung and experts will help farmers suffering loss because of diseases including yellow leaves and rotten root to re-grown their tangerine orchards.
According to the Department Economy and Infrastructure in Dong Thap, the price of the fruit is slight expensive because of diseases. For instance, a kilogram of newly-picked pink tangerine costs VND50,000 (US$1.8) at the orchard but it will hike to VND70,000- VND80,000 later. On the other hand, farmers this year will not be difficult to find traders like in prior years as traders have arrived at their orchards proposing to buy the fruit at ideal prices.
Dong Thap Province is famous for its flowers. Sa Dec City is known as the kingdom of flower in the Mekong Delta. Scores of sellers, buyers and holiday-makers have flocked to Sa Dec City which is a home to 3,500 various varieties of flowers.
Expert Tran Anh Dien of Thanh Pho Hoa Tourist Company said that his company’s tourist destination welcomes around 1,700- 2,000 travelers averagely a day; he forecast this year, around 10,000 travelers will come to the province for sightseeing and shopping. Generally, the province receives nearly one million of visitors including 35,000 international holiday-makers yearly.
Flowers are grown in 129ha. Flower growing villages have been recognized traditional craft villages (Dong Thap has some traditional craft villages specializing in rush-mat weaving in Lap Vo District, boat-making in Lai Vung District, flower-growing and rice-flour making in Sa Dec City, bamboo weaving in Cao Lanh City, and scarf weaving in Hong Ngu District).
In 2020, total area for growing flower was 622ha mostly in communes Tan Quy Dong, Tan Khanh Dong and Tan Quy Tay of 4,000 household farms. The value of flowers and ornamental plants in 2019 was estimated around VND1,701 billion, accounting for 75 percent of the province’s agriculture and 60 percent of the value of agriculture, forestry and fishery sector.
Alongside its fame of fruits, ornamental plants and flowers, Dong Thap Province has carried out the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program for two recent years. So far, 161 products in the province have been certified 3-4 stars.
Moreover, to help consumers get access to high-quality products in the program, administrators of Dong Thap Province have promoted them through fairs and exhibitions. As a result, the province’s OCOP products have been displayed in supermarkets including Co.opmart, Big C, VinMart, Bach Hoa Xanh, Tu Son, An Nam, and retail outlets Vissan countrywide.
HCMC dwellers will taste more new specialities of Dong Thap comprising dried lotus seeds, prawn crackers, fruit jams, lotus wine and fish cooked with fish sauce during Tet holiday this year.
Chairman of Dong Thap Province People’s Committee Pham Thien Nghia said that building brand names for local agricultural produce has helped increase the value of the products. This move will “wake up” the countryside as well as join hands in the government’s new rural plan and push up the province’s startup movement. The leader promised to accompany enterprises to promote products in the OCOP program.
By Uyen Chi - Translated by Uyen Phuong