Delegates attend a ceremony to celebrate the contract to export longan to the US. — VNA/VNS Photo

Up to 1.2 tonnes of thanh nhãn (bright yellow-fleshed longan) grown in Cần Thơ City's Cờ Đỏ District, have been exported to the United States.

The municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with Vina T&T Group, held a ceremony to mark the export contract on Tuesday as the fruits went off by air freight.

Cờ Đỏ District is home to 400ha of thanh nhãn trees. The longan in the district has been granted 33 export planting area codes and is sent to markets including the US, Australia, Japan, Thailand, the EU and China.

Nguyễn Đình Tùng, General Director of Vina T&T Group said thanh nhãn is considered the 'king of longans' with large fruits, thick flesh, small seeds and a slightly sweet taste, so it is favoured by many customers stateside.

From the beginning of the year until now, Vina T&T has exported over 20 tonnes of thanh nhãn the US and Australian markets, Tùng said.

Cần Thơ is a locality with a large output of thanh nhãn in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta region and the city has teamed up with businesses to ship about 250 tonnes of longan per year to overseas markets.

In his speech at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyễn Ngọc Hè, asked farmers and cooperatives to cooperate in establishing a sufficient growing area to meet the export demands. — VNS