The Viet Nam Fruit Festival hosted by Central Retail Viet Nam and the Tien Giang Province People’s Committee opened at the GO! My Tho shopping mall in the province’s My Tho city on June 15.

Visitors can try and shop for speciality fruits from across the country like Hau or Queen plum (Son La) and Thieu lychee (Bac Giang), famous fruits and fruit-based products from the Mekong Delta such as mangosteen, mango, star apple, pomelo, durian, longan, coconut, dragon fruit, dried fruits, and juices.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pham Van Trong, deputy chairman of the People's Committee, said the country’s largest fruit producing province, Tien Giang, grew over 1.8 million tonnes of fruits a year from over 70,000ha of orchards.

In recent years they had gradually established a reputation for quality in the domestic and foreign markets, he said.

A number of large-scale agricultural areas had been established with many products there obtaining geographical indication and collective trademark certification such as Cai Lay durian, Cho Gao dragon fruit and Hoa Loc mango.

“This is the second time this event has been held in Tien Giang Province to promote and introduce the richness and diversity of its delicious speciality fruits and the Mekong Delta and entire country’s in general.

“Fruit-based products and OCOP products … will also be introduced to a large number of people.

“The event will be a connection space between production and consumption of agricultural products.”

The festival will be also held at other GO!, Big C, and Tops Market supermarkets nation-wide until June 28, with fresh fruits and fruit-based dishes and drinks getting discounts of up to 45 per cent.

Olivier Langlet, CEO of Central Retail Viet Nam, said: “For the first time the event has attracted the participation of provinces in the Mekong Delta region, and for the first time we will conduct a nation-wide promotion of various local fruit specialties across our entire retail store network of GO! Big C and Tops Market to create a new cultural feature known as ‘The National Fruits Festival’.

“During the Fruit Festival, we hope that consumers shopping at GO!, Big C, and Tops Market supermarkets will actively support the increased affirmation of the quality and reputation of Vietnamese specialty fruits in our modern retail system.”

Over 700 tonnes of fruit are expected to be consumed during the festival. — VNS