Swedish ambassador highly values quality of Thanh Ha litchi
Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Pereric Hogberg and his wife visited Thanh Ha district, the northern province of Hai Duong on June 9 on the occasion of the first-ever Thanh Ha “thieu” litchi festival 2018.
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At a working session with the local leaders, the ambassador said he pays special attention to the trading of litchi products and wants to bring them to the Swedish market.
Secretary of the Party Committee of Thanh Ha district Nguyen Duc Tuan expressed his wish that Ambassador Pereric Hogberg will support the locality in bringing its specialty fruit to Sweden and Europe in general.
After visiting the VietGAP litchi orchard and the ancient litchi tree, and enjoying Thanh Ha ‘thieu” litchi, the Swedish diplomat appreciated the quality of the local fruit as well as the VietGAP production process. He said that there is great potential for Thanh Ha “thieu” litchi to enter international markets.
Thanh Ha district has about 4,000 ha of litchi, including 3,000 ha of ‘thieu” litchi, expected to produce 35,000 tonnes this year.
Thanh Ha “thieu” litchi received the geographical indication from the Ministry of Science and Technology’s National Office of Intellectual Property in 2007. The local fruit was listed in the top 10 quality products in 2013 and 2014 and received the Gold Brand prize in 2015.
The Vietnam Association of Food Science and Technology granted a “trustful and safe food brand” certificate to Thanh Ha litchi in 2016. The same year, the ancient litchi tree in Thuy Lam village was recognised as the oldest of its kind in Vietnam.
Besides the domestic market, Thanh Ha litchi has increased its presence outside the country. The fruit has been exported to Australia, Canada, China, France, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
The Thanh Ha “thieu” litchi festival opened on June 10, with an array of activities such as tours to the ancient litchi tree in Thuy Lam village in Thanh Son commune, Thanh Ha district; visits to VietGAP litchi gardens; and boat tours to litchi orchards along Huong river, among others. Visitors can also try their hand at picking litchi in gardens in Thanh Ha district and Chi Linh town.
