Livestream of plums at the Phiêng Khoài Plum Festival.

Son La province has over 85,000 hectares of fruit trees and hawthorn, notably with key fruit varieties such as mangoes, longan, and plums. By 2025, the total estimated fresh fruit production will exceed 510,000 tons, mainly concentrated in the districts of Yen Chau, Mai Son, Thuan Chau, Song Ma, Muong La, Moc Chau town, and Son La city.

During the harvest season, many localities in Son La province have flexibly organized cultural activities and fruit-picking festivals, both promoting agricultural products and boosting fruit consumption, while also creating "cultural meeting points" that attract tourists annually. Typical examples include: the Moc Chau Plum Harvesting Festival, the Yen Chau Round Mango Festival, the Ngoc Chien Hawthorn Flower Festival, and the Muong Bu Fruit Harvesting Festival in Muong La district... These events not only feature stalls showcasing characteristic agricultural products and quality OCOP products, but also offer vibrant experiences, competitions, and attractive cultural and sports programs, attracting thousands of visitors from within and outside the province.

The Muong La mango harvest season has begun.

Yen Chau district has over 12,000 hectares of fruit trees, producing over 100,000 tons annually, valued at approximately 1,900 billion VND. To capitalize on this strength, the district focuses on organizing cultural events associated with the harvest season. This May, Yen Chau successfully organized the first Phieng Khoai Plum Harvesting Festival and is currently organizing the annual Round Mango Festival, which will take place at the end of May.

Mr. Lo The Thi, Vice Chairman of the Yen Chau District People's Committee, said: "Through these festivals, the consumption of agricultural products in the district has expanded through many channels, from traditional to modern. At this year's Phieng Khoai Plum Harvesting Festival, the district coordinated with the post office, businesses, and cooperatives to organize a livestream to introduce and sell plums right at the festival. This activity has brought clear results in innovating trade promotion methods, linking agricultural product development with tourism, increasing income, and building local brands."

Son La plums are being distributed through Saigon COOP's nationwide sales channels.

Attending the Plum Picking Festival in Phieng Khoai commune, Yen Chau district, Ms. Nguyen Nhat Le, a tourist from Hanoi, shared: "For only 20,000 VND per person, we had a wonderful experience in the plum-growing region, taking photos, picking ripe plums at the beginning of the season, and enjoying them right in the orchard. Before leaving, I also bought plums as gifts at prices ranging from 25,000 to 60,000 VND per kilogram."

Livestreaming to introduce and sell plums from the orchard.

To promote the synergistic power of trade, tourism, and culture, provincial departments and agencies are implementing many synchronized solutions. The Department of Industry and Trade and the Provincial Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion are coordinating with units, localities, businesses, and cooperatives to build exhibition points for typical rural industrial products and OCOP products. These spaces help tourists easily access, experience, and purchase characteristic products of Son La.

Ms. Le Thi Hong Anh, Director of the Provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, said: The Center is stepping up trade promotion and advertising of the province's characteristic fruits, agricultural products and OCOP products through various forms, such as bringing products into modern distribution channels, organizing participation in trade fairs, exhibitions, and supply-demand connection conferences in provinces and cities nationwide. In addition, the Center also cooperates in including seasonal fresh fruits in meals on Vietnam Airlines flights, contributing to bringing Son La's agricultural products closer to customers.

Currently, with many key fruits like mangoes and plums in their peak harvest season, the Son La Provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center participated in the Hanoi Tourism Festival 2025 with a large-scale exhibition booth. The event served as an opportunity to promote tourism and the province's distinctive agricultural products to a wide audience. The Son La booth attracted attention thanks to its diverse selection of mangoes, plums, red-fleshed dragon fruit, early-ripening longan, and many other specialties.

Strawberries from Son La are transported on Vietnam Airlines flights.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Phong, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, assessed: Besides traditional sales channels, tourists visiting orchards to experience, harvest, and purchase agricultural products has opened up an effective on-site consumption channel, while also promoting products through positive sharing on social media. In the future, the Department will strengthen support for businesses and cooperatives to promote products on e-commerce platforms and expand the livestream sales model at festivals.

Exploiting the domestic market through festivals and promotional events is an effective approach that helps Son La province sell its agricultural products better, reducing losses and pressure on other channels. This method is being replicated throughout the province, contributing to connecting consumption, promoting tourism, increasing the value of agricultural products, improving people's lives, and promoting sustainable socio-economic development.

Minh Thu - Phan Trang