SƠN LA — The northern mountainous province of Sơn La in partnership with Vietnam Airlines and major retailers – Saigon Co.op, Go!, and WinCommerce – officially launched the transport of renowned "hậu" plums to the national flag carrier’s flights and retail systems across the country.

This milestone marked a significant boost for local farmers as well as the consumption of the province’s signature plum variety to meet growing consumer demand nationwide.

Vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyễn Thành Công expressed his hope that the four partners will create favourable conditions for local businesses and cooperatives to sign contracts to distribute local agricultural products via their systems, and to help advertise other farm produce that Sơn La is strong at.

Sơn La is committed to creating an optimal business environment and providing maximum support for enterprises, especially those involved in agricultural production, harvesting, processing, preservation, distribution, and export, he added.

Over the past years, the province has enhanced its "hậu" plum brand by encouraging farmers to adopt advanced technologies in cultivation and follow VietGAP and organic standards. To date, Sơn La boasts over 14,000 hectares dedicated to "hậu" plum cultivation, with an estimated output of 100,000 tonnes for 2025.

At the event, representatives from all parties participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the shipment of two tonnes of plums for Vietnam Airlines' in-flight meal services. This inaugural batch is the beginning of a broader distribution strategy that will see the fruit reach consumers through Saigon Co.op, Go!, and WinCommerce retail networks nationwide. — VNS