Yen Chau round mangoes are labeled with a brand identification traceability sticker.

Yen Chau is a large-scale mango growing area in the province with over 3,280 hectares of mango trees, producing an estimated 15,000 tons of fruit per year. With its hot, dry climate, sloping terrain, and red soil, the area is well-suited to mango cultivation. Therefore, the round mangoes from this region have a delicious, sweet taste and a distinctive aroma, making them popular with consumers.

Since 2012, with the registration of geographical indication and brand identity system for round mangoes, Yen Chau district has selected and planned the cultivation area for round mangoes in three communes: Chieng Pan, Vieng Lan, and Sapp Vat. These communes have special geographical conditions suitable for the growth and development of this mango variety.

Farmers exchange experiences in growing round mangoes.

To improve productivity and product quality, as well as expand the area for growing round mangoes, in recent years, Yen Chau district has directed specialized agencies to organize voluntary training courses for farmers on techniques for planting and caring for round mango trees; collaborated with the Hanoi Institute of Vegetable and Fruit Research to build a model for grafting and improving local mango varieties; propagated and developed round mango trees from superior varieties; and organized training on planting and caring techniques according to VietGAP and organic standards, and post-harvest fruit preservation for farmers in the communes.

Authentic round mangoes are sold at stalls along National Highway 6.

In addition, the district encourages households and cooperatives to link production and proactively seek out buyers and businesses to sign contracts for product consumption. At the same time, it supports cooperatives with packaging, traceability labels, and the establishment of purchasing points, contributing to the promotion and introduction of the product and increasing the economic value of round mangoes.

People in Sapp Vat commune are harvesting round mangoes.

After being granted a geographical indication certificate by the Intellectual Property Office of Viet Nam (Ministry of Science and Technology), Yen Chau round mango was further included by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the list of rare crop genetic resources in need of conservation and is the only indigenous mango variety in northern Vietnam listed in the catalog of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) that needs to be preserved and developed.

Taiwanese mangoes from Yanzhou are packaged and exported to China.

Along with preserving and maintaining the native round mango variety, Yen Chau district is now developing many new, high-yielding mango varieties, such as the Taiwanese, Thai, and Australian green-skinned mango. On average, the district consumes over 13,000 tons domestically and exports 3,200 tons of mangoes annually to markets in China, Japan, and South Korea.

To ensure a market for mangoes, the district has developed a consumption plan; directing functional departments to coordinate with communes to supervise, guide, advise, and provide technical support for mango cultivation, harvesting, packaging, and preservation, ensuring adherence to technical procedures. Simultaneously, it continues to promote and introduce mango products to units in other provinces and cities, as well as export and processing businesses. As a result, local mangoes are increasingly gaining market share both domestically and for export.

Booths displaying mangoes and other agricultural products at the Yen Chau Mango Festival 2024.

To promote the mango brand, Yen Chau district is once again organizing the Mango Festival this year, attracting thousands of local people and tourists from inside and outside the province to visit and experience the event. The festival's series of activities is diverse and extended, with many more attractive contents.

Besides experiencing fruit picking and enjoying fresh, fragrant, and sweet varieties of mangoes such as round mangoes, fragrant mangoes, and green-skinned mangoes, visitors can also enjoy processed products such as dried mangoes, mango cakes, mango juice, and many other traditional agricultural products and handicrafts typical of the district.

A large number of locals and tourists attended the Yen Chau Mango Festival in 2024.

The 5th Yen Chau Mango Festival in 2024 is also an opportunity to promote the mango brand to a large number of domestic and international tourists, creating opportunities for mango growers to learn and improve their knowledge and experience in planting and caring for mangoes, creating high-value products from mangoes. It aims to attract the attention of investors, create opportunities for cooperation between mango growers and businesses inside and outside the province to produce and trade mango products, and expand the Yen Chau mango brand, contributing to job creation and increased income for mango farmers in the district. At the same time, it creates synergy between agricultural development and tourism, building new and attractive tourism products to attract a large number of tourists to Yen Chau district's tourist destinations.

Reporters' Team

Let the scent of mangoes spread far and wide (baosonla.org.vn)