Diversifying longan consumption channels
These days, in the longan growing areas in the province, there are quite a few traders and customers from all over coming to visit, survey and select good quality gardens to negotiate to buy longan to serve the needs of gifts, display in supermarkets, fresh vegetable and fruit stores and export.
This year, the longan output of Hung Yen city is estimated to reach at 11,400 tons. At this time, many longan gardens in the city have begun to harvest. Although the weather is not favorable with continuous rain in recent days, the atmosphere in the longan gardens is still very busy. Longan trucks still come in and out to deliver longan to different places. Having built a brand and ensured quality, most of the large longan gardens in Hung Yen city have had customers coming to buy at higher prices than those in 2023.
Tourists visit the longan garden preparing for harvest in Phuong Chieu commune (Hung Yen city)
The Ne Chau Longan Cooperative in Hong Nam commune (Hung Yen city) has 33 members with a cultivation area of 18 hectares. To date, 100% of the cultivation area of the cooperative members has been certified for production according to VietGAP standards. In addition, the cooperative has been granted a certificate of the right to use the geographical indication "Hung Yen" for longan products. These have created a brand for the cooperative's longan fruit. Therefore, before each ripening longan season, the cooperative has many partners from many provinces and cities across the country coming to learn and cooperate in longan consumption. Thanks to proper care, the cooperative's fresh longan output this year is estimated to reach over 400 tons, nearly double that of 2023. In addition to ensuring product consumption for members, the cooperative also consumes products for many households in the village and commune when the longan gardens meet quality requirements. The cooperative is currently consuming products for 60 households with a total area of 30 hectares. To prepare for longan consumption during the harvest season, the cooperative's Board of Directors is proactively and actively seeking high-end consumption markets such as supermarkets, fresh fruit and vegetable stores, and a part is exported to the UK. Mr. Bui Xuan Su, Deputy Director of Ne Chau Longan Cooperative, said: Along with converting 100% of the cooperative's members' area to production according to VietGAP standards, we also propagate and guide people in the village to convert to longan production according to VietGAP standards so that the longan fruit has good quality and safety. In addition, I continue to pioneer the conversion from my family's VietGAP longan garden to organic longan in order to move towards safe and sustainable agricultural production. Longan produced in an organic direction, with healthy trees, stable productivity, sweet and fragrant fruit is trusted and chosen by customers. In addition to domestic orders, this year, a partner has ordered 2 tons of Huong Chi longan produced in an organic direction for export to the UK market. The partner also placed a trial order of more than 100 kg of square-fleshed longan to the UK to explore and evaluate the market for export in the following years.
In the Khoai Chau longan area, it is not yet the harvest season, but longan garden owners have urgently linked and connected to find a market for longan fruit. This year, the total longan output of the district is estimated to reach at 9,000 tons. To avoid the price of longan dropping when entering the main harvest season like previous years, longan garden owners have renovated and cared for the longan fruit so that it not only has a beautiful appearance but is also fragrant and sweet. Along with promoting and searching for longan consumption markets, many longan gardens in Khoai Chau have combined to organize sightseeing and experience activities at longan gardens. This is an attractive activity, attracting many tourists from all over the country, even foreign tourists to experience. Comrade Luu Quang Phuc, Head of the Division of Agriculture and Rural Development of Khoai Chau district, said: Along with the initiative of longan growers, Khoai Chau district actively coordinates with the province in the process of organizing longan consumption promotion activities such as: Longan Festival, longan market... thereby helping to bring longan to higher-end markets, consume well at higher prices, bringing high economic efficiency to local people.
At this time, gardeners are busy connecting, promoting products through such a lot of channels as: E-commerce platforms, social networks, and at the same time preparing means and equipment to consume longan directly in domestic markets as well as for export.
At this time, traders from all over are flocking to longan growing areas in the province to find out about supply sources, negotiate prices and orders for consumption. Longan cooperatives and groups in the province are also actively and proactively linking, coordinating and supporting the consumption of products for the people. Currently, the selling prices of all types of longan in the province have increased compared to last year, of which, Huong Chi longan is 35 - 40 thousand VND/kg, pulp longan is 60 - 80 thousand VND/kg, some special types of longan such as: sugar, ancient longans are sold at 120 - 150 thousand VND/kg.
