Promote agro-products through tourism

International tourists claim that they have an urge to learn more about the growing area and processing plant after enjoying delicious agro-products.

The shimmering dragon fruit garden in Long An at night. Photo: BT.

According to Dr. Ngo Thi Thu Trang, Deputy Director of Center for Rural Development - Saemaul Undong, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, one of the effective ways to do organic farming is to associate it with tourism. Many countries have followed this path and reaped great success.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, Chairman of the Board of Directors, General Director of Vina T&T Group, cited the ecological tours organized by the enterprise in major agricultural areas in the Mekong Delta. Through these tours visitors spread the information and promote Vietnamese agro-products to the world.

Vina T&T is currently forming a number of tours to visit raw material areas and preliminary processing factories such as the red dragon fruit growing area in Long An, Dong Thap mango area, Vinh Long longan area, and receive positive feedback.

Mr. Tung hoped that Vina T&T will become an extension arm, bringing Long An agro-products in particular and Vietnam's agro-products in general to many markets around the world.

Vina T&T has a chain of domestic distribution systems in many provinces and cities. The enterprise has been associated with Long An’s seedless lemon production facilities for 5-6 years. Vina T&T will soon export seedless lemons to the Middle East market. Vina T&T has also already had a certain market share in strict markets such as the USA, Australia and Canada thanks to red dragon fruit exports.

Diversifying export markets is one of the paths the company has chosen to avoid being dependent on the conventional Chinese market.

To be able to conquer difficult markets such as the USA and EU, Mr. Tung suggested that Long An and other large quantity agro-products provinces and cities pay more attention to "developing growing areas to meet GlobalGAP standards". In the long run this not only helps Vietnamese agro-products heighten their quality and traceability but also gain more opportunities to develop eco-tourism.

Specialties in the Mekong Delta are very diverse, well-known, and highly competitive in the market. Long An in particular has many agro-products that have created a foothold in the market through Cho Dao fragrant rice, Long Tri watermelon, Chau Thanh dragon fruit, Duc Hoa peanut, etc.

Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Tuyen, Trading and Product Supply Director of Saigon Co.op, said that OCOP products and specialties hold the potential to become localities’ strengths and spearheads in both consumption and export.

For example, Long An has a very good quality smoked pork sausage but the location for production is unknown. This reality poses the increasing importance of food safety and traceability.

Cooperatives and production facilities in Long An should attend agro-products promotion conferences and organize introduction booths to receive more feedbacks from other localities. Another idea is to organize free tours to help tourists know more about local agro-products.