The province’s distinct mango variants will be the centrepiece for the upcoming festivities
Themed on elevating the status of Dong Thap mangos, the event will take place from April 28 to May 1 at Van Mieu Square in the city of Cao Lanh. The launch ceremony on the afternoon of April 28 will be broadcast live on Dong Thao Television.
Mangos are one of five key products of Dong Thap’s agricultural economy restructuring.
According to Nguyen Phuoc Thien, Deputy Chairman of Dong Thap People’s Committee, the festival is set to boost exposure of the province’s distinct mangos both domestically and internationally, increase business networking, bolster production and business, and attract investors’ attention into mango processing and export, among others. The upcoming festival is also expected to particularly promote distinct Cao Lanh mangos.
Dong Thap is currently home to 13,000 hectares of mango plantations, taking the lead in the Mekong Delta and generating an output approximating 137,000 tonnes per year.
A wide range of exhibitions, seminars, cultural, and tourism activities will be taking place before and during the festival. Among them include the launch of a contest when participants write inspiring stories about mangos, a contest where participating children drew pictures on lotus leaves under the theme ‘Mango season in my homeland’, and a photo contest.
Several highlights during the mango festival are an exhibition; business networking to promote One Commune, One Product items; a Dong Thap ‘mango kingdom’ VR space; and meetings between local farmers and mango associations, experts, and production and trading units.
There will also be farm trips to 10 mango areas in Cao Lanh district, promoting tours to plantations to introduce the province’s culture and tourism.
Of note, the festival will consist of a seminar on improving value and sustainably developing mangos, and the launch of the Dong Thap Mango Association both offline and online, linking directly to different departments under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, towns, districts, and cooperatives in the province.
The launching of the association aims to maximise the potential, cultural, and economic value of fresh mangos, and associated processed food, pushing up mango branch development attached to tourism growth, as well as crafting Dong Thap’s image
Further activities will involve meetings to exchange skills about growing mangos to adapt to climate change, post-harvest preservation technology, and discussing market trends for brands and packaging.
By Huy Tu (vir.com.vn)
