The People’s Committee of Cao Phong District in the northern province of Hoa Binh, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, RYB Joint Stock Company and Cao Phong One Member Ltd, Co., on Thursday (January 5) held a ceremony to mark the first shipment of seven tonnes of Cao Phong oranges to the UK.

Oranges grown in Cao Phong District are a famous specialty of Hoa Binh Province. It is said to have a wonderful smell and a sweet taste combined with its beautiful colour.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Bui Duc Hinh said that the orange shipment to the UK marks the province’s over-40-year efforts to bring Cao Phong oranges to the world market.

Director of the province’s agriculture department Nguyen Huy Nhuan said that the province will continue to support orange-growing cooperatives and cooperative groups in improving their capacity in production, processing, packaging, storing, and selling.

Enterprises are also supported in purchasing and processing Cao Phong oranges as well as adding value to the product, he said.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, director of RYB Joint Stock Company, said that none of the nearly 900 plant protection substances that are required to be analysed according to European standards were found in all testing samples.

Sample packages to the UK have also been cleared without any obstacles related to food safety and origin, she said.

Last year, many agricultural products of Hoa Binh Province like bamboo shoots, vermicelli, cassava, and nutritious porridge maintained their traditional export markets and expanded into new markets. Its white sugarcane, purple sugarcane, longan, and red-flesh pomelo were first exported to high-end markets such as the US, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the EU.

Cao Phong District now has 1,744 ha of citrus trees, including 1,358 ha of orange and tangerine with a yearly output of over 20,000 tonnes.

The district has seven products, including fresh orange and processed orange, recognised as 3-and-4-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) products.

First batch of longan to Japan

Vietnamese fresh longan has been officially imported into the Japanese market after six years of negotiation.

Hoang Phat Co., Ltd started official export, bringing the first 10 tonnes of fresh longan from Viet Nam to Japan on Tuesday.

The export product is packed in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Long An province.

It is the Indo longan variety and is grown from the associated raw material areas in Vinh Long Province and Dong Thap Province.

The batch of longan will be shipped by air and is expected to hit shelves at Japanese supermarkets on January 7.

After this batch of longan, the company will supply about 70-100 tonnes of fresh longan by sea and by air to Japan each month.

There are four types of Vietnamese fruits exported to the Japanese market, including dragon fruit, mango, litchi, and fresh longan. — VNS