Third Chi Lang Custard Apple Festival opens in Lang Son

The People’s Committee of Chi Lang district, Lang Son province, opened the 2019 Chi Lang Custard Apple Festival at the farm produce introduction centre in Quang Lang commune on August 11 evening.

Attending the opening ceremony were Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, member of the Party Central Committee and Secretary of the provincial Party Committee; Hoang Van Nghiem, Standing Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Council; Pham Ngoc Thuong, Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; along with many local officials.

Prominent guests at the event included Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union Central Committee Dinh Khac Dinh, and representatives from the ministries of Science and Technology, and Industry and Trade.

Provincial leaders visit farm produce pavilions at the festival

At the ceremony, Chi Lang People’s Committee leaders briefed participants on the development of the local custard apple business.

Accordingly, the district has nearly 1,800 hectares under custard apple. With the annual yield and revenue of 17,000 tonnes and over 650 billion VND (27.95 million USD), the trees have created stable incomes for more than 3,500 households in 9 communes.

Currently, the Chi Lang custard apple is among 50 specialty fruits of Vietnam. It was honoured as one of the top ten agricultural golden trademarks of Vietnam in 2018.

The festival aimed at promoting the fruit in domestic and foreign markets; honouring local farmers; linking farmers, businesses, scientists, and authorities; and boosting custard apple cultivation under VietGAP and GlobalGAP.

Ho Tien Thieu, Vice Chairman of the Lang Son People’s Committee, speaks at the opening ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ho Tien Thieu, Vice Chairman of the Lang Son People’s Committee, stressed the development of the fruit as a key product of the district requires concerted efforts from the authorities, relevant departments and sectors and local people in restructuring agricultural production and building concentrated production areas using scientific-technological advances for higher productivity and product quality.

He also urged more attention to be paid to brand building, promotion and distribution activities, as well as expansion of cultivation area and fruit quality improvement.

Leader of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam hand over collective trademark certificates to the Chi Lang gardening association for its local vegetable ‘rau bo khai’ and Huu Kien white horses.

Leaders of the Chi Lang People’s Committee present certificates to outstanding farmers in custard apple cultivation.

Dinh Huu Hoc, Chairman of the Chi Lang People’s Committee, beats the drum to kick off the festival.

On the occasion, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam handed over collective trademark certificates to the Chi Lang gardening association for its local vegetable ‘rau bo khai’ and Huu Kien white horses.

The organising board of the festival also awarded the first, second, and third prizes to winning teams of the farmers’ competition held in the morning the same day, while honouring a number of outstanding custard apple growers in the locality.

The festival attracted a large number of visitors throughout the day./.