First longan export shipment from Trang Ti Garden Cooperative reached the United States and Australia

Can Tho city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with the Department of Crop Production, the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Co Do District People's Committee, organized a seminar with the theme: Development of Sustainable Fruit Production and Consumption Chains and Longan Export Ceremony on July 23 in Can Tho city.

Participants of the seminar and local farmers discussed various issues regarding the development of fruit production nationwide, in the Mekong Delta, and in Can Tho city; regulations and standards imposed by import markets; linkage in consumption and export of fruit trees; and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's negotiation efforts to expand Vietnam's reach on a global scale.

Prior to the seminar, Can Tho city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with Vina T&T Group, Co Do District People's Committee, and Trang Ti Garden Fruit Production Cooperative, successfully exported 1.2 tons of longan to the United States and Australia by air.

According to Tran Phuoc Son, Director of Trang Ti Garden Fruit Production Cooperative, the cooperative currently manages 69 hectares of fruit production areas, with 11 participating farming households from Thoi Hung commune, Co Do district.

The cooperative aims to establish linkages and support its members in producing fragrant, flavorful, and safe longans for domestic consumers and export shipments to demanding markets.

The cooperative is currently moving towards combining the development of eco-tourism and the "Your Garden" program, with a focus on utilizing the domestic market.

Vina T&T Group was the first business to deliver longan from Can Tho city to the United States market in 2019. With prior experience, Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T Group, emphasized that each export market possesses its own strict regulations and standards.

Accordingly, agricultural exports to the United States are required to provide a certified production unit code and packaging facility code. Notably, longans must undergo an irradiation and sterilization process before export.

Additionally, product packaging must meet strict standards; longans qualified for export must meet strict requirements regarding uniformity in size.

As a result, businesses must closely coordinate with farmers throughout the stages of cultivation, harvesting, and transportation in order to maintain the quality of longans when reaching the import market.

General Director Tung remarked that longans from Can Tho city have received recognition as "king of the longans". During the peak season, demand for longan in the United States and Australia increases significantly, often resulting in insufficient supply.

Vina T&T Group has mobilized various transportation solutions to ensure the timely delivery of longans to these markets. To date, Can Tho longans are present in three major markets: the United States, Australia, and Canada, with an annual export volume of over 200 tons.

“When demand increases, we expedite sea transport, and with larger volumes, we utilize freezing solutions, combining both sea and air transportation. This method allows us to sell longan year-round to consumers worldwide,” General Director Tung explained.

Following significant efforts to establish production linkages, the first longan export shipment from Trang Ti Garden Fruit Production Cooperative will encourage other cooperatives, cooperative groups, and production areas to expand their exports into international markets.

Furthermore, this achievement marks a significant milestone for Co Do farmers in production linkage, collective economic development, and the establishment of exemplary cooperative groups aimed at forming new-style cooperatives. Local farmers are also actively finding partners to join the export market.

Co Do district is home to nearly 5,000 hectares of fruit trees, with key specialty fruits include longans, mangoes, soursop, and durian. Notably, the longan production area covers approximately 330 hectares. This high-quality fruit, primarily concentrated in Thoi Hung Commune, meets the requirements for export.

To date, the district has issued 33 production unit codes for longan exports to the United States, Japan, Australia, Thailand, the EU, and China.