Visitors at Hung Yen’s Longan Festival 2018. — Photo VNA

The Red River delta province of Hung Yen opened the Longan Festival 2018 on Saturday to honour the provincial specialty product.

The festival, the second of its kind, hosted more than 50 pavilions which showcased the fruit. Cultivators estimated that this year’s output will be 30 per cent higher than last year’s, but the price will remain stable thanks to the fruit’s quality.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Quang said this year’s festival is larger compared to last year and give consumers more accurate information about longan from the province.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Van Doanh said many co-operatives and production teams cultivating longan on a large scale have been established in Khoai Chau, Kim Dong and Tien Lu District and Hung Yen City, forming a specialised cultivation area.

The trees are cultivated to ensure the food safety and origin traceability, he said.

As for the sale of longan, Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Van Tho said the department had held trade promotion activities to popularise the product among localities inside the country.

Besides, the department has also invited businesses from China and South Korea to the province to sign contracts. So far, nearly 100 contracts have been signed for nearly 3,000 tonnes of longan to be sold at supermarkets like Big C, Hapro and Fivimart. Importers from the US, China, Japan and South Korea have also agreed to buy the fruit. —VNS