Organic longan garden experience

These days, the organic longan garden of Mr. Bui Xuan Su's family in Hong Nam commune, Hung Yen city is always bustling with visitors coming to visit the garden, experience the feeling of picking longan, and enjoy longan in the garden. Realizing that growing longan using organic methods ensures the health of both consumers and growers, in 2021, Mr. Su pioneered the conversion of 1.5 hectares from growing VietGap longan to growing organically.

Mr. Bui Xuan Su shared that this is the third year his family has grown longan organically. Taking care of longan trees organically takes more effort and time than mass-growing longan trees. Fertilizer for the trees is mainly from soaked corn, beans, fish, etc., which are composted, deodorized, then mixed with water and watered at the base of the tree.

“Organically grown longan says no to pesticides but only uses nano silver, mixed with ground ginger, garlic, and chili peppers and sprayed on the leaves and trunk of the longan tree. Clean longan is an important factor that helps my family's garden always attract many people to visit, experience, and enjoy longan right in the garden,” said Mr. Su.

Members of Ne Chau Longan Production Cooperative in Hung Yen city take care of the final stages of preparing to harvest longan. Photo: VNA

Although he has been to many longan gardens, Mr. Bui Cong Anh, from Thanh Hoa province, was really impressed with the longan garden of Mr. Bui Xuan Su's family. Mr. Cong Anh shared: "Coming to Mr. Su's longan garden, I was fascinated by the bunches of longan full of fruit, the airy and fresh space. What I like most is picking and enjoying the ripe longan bunches and taking pictures with friends. Organic longan has thick, crispy flesh and peels off the seeds, with a sweet taste. In particular, the garden owner does not charge an entrance fee and is very enthusiastic in welcoming."

Solving the problem of "good harvest, low price"

According to Ms. Tran Thi Bac, Director of Ne Chau Longan Production Cooperative, Hung Yen City: Changing farming methods, not using pesticides, has helped gardeners and cooperatives affirm their brands in the hearts of consumers. That change has partly helped gardeners and cooperatives solve the problem of "good harvest, low price".

For many years, Quyet Thang Specialty Fruit Cooperative, Tan Hung Commune, Hung Yen City has become a familiar "address" for many groups of visitors every longan ripening season. Mr. Tran Van My, Director of the Cooperative, said that since the beginning of the longan season, the Cooperative has welcomed many domestic and foreign groups to visit and experience the longan garden. To attract visitors, the Cooperative has published its phone number on the internet, and at the same time promoted information and images about the longan season on social platforms. Currently, there are many tourists coming to experience it on weekends.

“For nearly 10 years, the Cooperative’s zero-dong experience tour has become a brand and has been booked by many groups of visitors to visit and experience. Coming to the garden, visitors will enjoy free longan. If they want to order, we will cut the longan and weigh it right in the garden. Our main purpose is to promote the brand, to bring Hung Yen longan closer to domestic and foreign customers,” said Mr. My.

According to Mr. My, during the longan harvest season, the garden is usually open from 8am to 6pm, welcoming visitors every day of the week. In addition to enjoying fresh longan, visitors also have the opportunity to learn and explore products made from longan such as longan, honey, etc.

Returning to Vietnam this time is probably an unforgettable memory for Mr. Nguyen Son Nam, an overseas Vietnamese in the US, as this is the first time he and his friends have come to visit, experience, and enjoy Hung Yen longan fruit right in the garden. Mr. Son Nam shared his feeling of surprise and overwhelm when he first entered the ripe longan garden. The garden was full of bunches of longan fruit, with a very special flavor. The garden owner here works very professionally and methodically, being able to pick bunches of longan and enjoy them right in the garden is truly wonderful.

Mr. Do Huu Nhan, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hung Yen province, said: The tourism model of visiting and experiencing longan gardens in the province is developing, thereby contributing to diversifying and enriching products, increasing the choices for tourists when learning about and experiencing the beauty of the homeland and people of Hung Yen.

However, at present, this type of tourism has only developed spontaneously and on a small scale, without connection with other tourist destinations in the province, without a management organization model, it is difficult to control the quality of services provided to visitors, and the efficiency is not high. Therefore, specialized sectors, tourism businesses and garden owners need to have close and comprehensive coordination to invest in facilities and infrastructure for tourism, helping people promote and train human resources. Along with that, garden owners need to continue to improve the quality of longan, encourage organic longan cultivation; ensure food hygiene and safety, and arrange green, clean and beautiful longan gardens to develop sustainable tourism associated with protecting the natural environment.

VNA

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