A booth displaying fresh longan of Hung Yen City at Hung Yen Longan Week 2024 at the Vinhomes Oceanpark 2 Urban Area, Hung Yen Province.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hung Yen is home to nearly 5,000 hectares of longan, around 1,500 of which are cultivated under VietGAP standards. There are many varieties of longan in Hung Yen Province, such as: Huong Chi longan, which accounts for 35% of the total growing area; Mien Thiet longan, 30%; and T2, T1, and T6 varieties, which account for 25%; among others.

These days, longan gardens in Hung Yen Province are in the peak ripening period, and local farmers are rushed off their feet for the harvest season. farmers are focusing on harvesting longan fruit, with an expected output of over 40,000 tons of fruit.

Hung Yen City features a large longan growing area, with approximately 1,000 hectares, mainly in the communes of Hong Nam, Phuong Chieu, Tan Hung, and Quang Chau; where many delicious longan varieties are cultivated with high economic value and an estimated output of over 11,000 tonnes.

A longan garden that meets VietGAP standards in Hung Yen City, Hung Yen Province

Bui Thi Huong, Director of Pho Hien Green Agricultural Cooperative, said the cooperative has more than 20 hectares of longan, which are cultivated according to VietGAP standards.

The cooperative expects to harvest 120 tonnes of longan this year, with selling prices ranging from 35,000 - 100,000 VND per kilogramme.

The cooperative's longan is mainly distributed to stores and retail outlets in the province and neighbouring localities such as Hanoi, Hai Duong, and Hai Phong.

Along with traditional sales channels, Pho Hien Green Agricultural Cooperative also fosters sales through social networks such as Facebook and Zalo. When customers make online orders, the cooperative’s members pack and send products to the requested address.

In recent years, Pho Hien Green Agricultural Cooperative has welcomed many groups of tourists to visit and experience their longan garden. Visitors to the garden can enjoy longan and purchase fresh products right in the garden.

In addition to promoting consumption of fresh longan, cooperatives and businesses in Hung Yen Province also foster the procession of longan products such as dried longan and lotus-wrapped longan to extend shelf life of fresh produce, expand its consumption market, and increase economic value.

The family of Dang Van Ung in Hiep Cuong Commune, Kim Dong District, Hung Yen Province, has been involved in the making of dried longan flesh for more than 20 years. His family sells an average of more than 10 tonnes of dried longan to the market every year.

These days, his workshop has dozens of diligent workers. Ung shared that to ensure the source of input materials, he purchases fresh longan from people in the commune and localities in the province. With two dehydrating machines, each can process about 2 tonnes of fresh longan per day, his family produces about 200 kg of dried longan flesh.

Dried longan flesh can not only be preserved longer but also brings higher economic value than selling fresh fruit and is widely consumed domestically as well as exported.

In order to support longan growers to improve productivity, quality, and expand consumption markets, Hung Yen Province has fostered promotion activities, brand building, and granting of export codes for fruit trees, including longan, to provide transparent information to consumers.

To date, Hung Yen has 20 longan growing areas in Hung Yen City and Khoai Chau District that have been granted codes for export to the markets of the US, Australia, China, and Japan; 4 areas have been granted geographical indication certificates, including Hung Yen City and the three districts of Khoai Chau, Kim Dong, and Tien Lu.

The functional sector has also supported cooperatives and gardeners to participate in many agricultural promotion events and attended trade fairs and exhibitions of agricultural products in provinces and cities across the country.

Every year, Hung Yen Province hosts many activities to promote longan consumption, such as the conference to increase the export of longan and longan processed products to the Japanese market in 2024, the Hung Yen Longan Week 2024, which featured 50 booths at the Vinhomes Oceanpark 2 Urban Area. The longan week will be livestreamed on social networking platforms to promote longan products and typical agricultural products of the province.

Delegates at the launch of Hung Yen Longan Week 2024 at the Vinhomes Oceanpark 2 Urban Area in Van Giang District, Hung Yen Province.

Delegates at the launch of Hung Yen Longan Week 2024 at the Vinhomes Oceanpark 2 Urban Area in Van Giang District, Hung Yen Province.

Vu Quang Thang, Director of the Hung Yen Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, said that the Hung Yen Longan Week aims to advertise, promote, and affirm the quality of Hung Yen longan products, as well as Hung Yen agricultural products in general, to consumers.

It is also an opportunity for local cooperatives, gardeners, producers, and businesses to introduce their products; collect consumer feedback to improve their quality, designs, and packaging; and diversify products processed from longan to meet market demand, thus seeking more trade deals from enterprises and supermarkets.

Hung Yen longan have been consumed through many channels, such as gift shops, supermarkets, fresh fruit and vegetable stores, and markets in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, and has also been exported to a number of countries.

In addition to supporting longan consumption in traditional ways, the Hung Yen provincial authorities have directed departments, branches, sectors, and People's Committees of districts, towns, and cities to promote Hung Yen's typical agricultural products on social platforms such as Tiktok, Facebook, and Zalo; organise events to advertise local agricultural products and typical goods; and launch online stores on e-commerce platforms such as Lazada, Shopee, and PosMart.

Cooperatives and gardeners are requested to promote agricultural product consumption through e-commerce platforms; maintain sales c through a chain of safe stores and supermarkets; and strengthen supply-demand links between businesses and cooperatives and gardeners.

To bring longan into reputable distribution systems, districts and cities are supporting gardeners and cooperatives to follow and apply good agricultural practices and techniques for harvesting, preserving, and packaging as well as processing and exporting according to customer requirements.