The first ever national fruit festival will be held in southern Tien Giang province from April 19 to 24, authorities from the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province told the media in HCM City yesterday.

Farmers from Tien Giang and around the country will be invited to the six-day festival to be held in My Tho city which will not only promote domestic fruit varieties and honour farmers but also offer trading opportunities and cultural exchanges with tourists.

The province has been chosen to host the first such festival because it grows more fruits than any other. It has 67,000ha of orchards that produce 950,000 tonnes of fruits annually.

Tran The Ngoc, head of the province People’s Committee and organisation board, said domestic and foreign enterprises would be invited to share their expertise, adding foreign companies are being contacted through embassies and consulates. There will be 750 booths showcasing around 30 fruit varieties from around the country, with more than 300 showcasing inputs and other products related to fruit cultivation.

Vietnamese fruit is exported to more than 50 countries and territories, Ngoc said, adding seven Tien Giang products have been registered for trademarks.

Three records will be created at the festival – the biggest Tu Linh (the four sacred creatures) made of fruit, a 400-metre graffiti of a dragon on Hung Vuong Street, and a giant map of Viet Nam with fruit grown in each area appropriately shown on it.

Three seminars will also be held at the festival – about Vietnamse fruit, eco-tourism related to fruit orchards, and links between farmers, scientists, authorities, and enterprises. Besides this, there will be informal meetings between farmers and experts, contests, and sport activities in which farmers will take part.

VietNamNet/VNS