Bac Giang (VNA)ꦏ – Luc Ngan district in the northern province of Bac Giang is applying measures to improve the quality and effectiveness of its fruit farming zones so as to become a key fruit growing centre of Vietnam in the near future.

Secretary of the Luc Ngan Party Committee Nguyen Viet Oanh said the district is planning to expand key fruit planting areas, with a focus on the lychee farming in mountainous communes, reschedule cultivation to extend the harvest duration to raise fruit value, and diversify the main fruits such as orange, pomelo, apple, and guava. Local authorities are coordinating with departments and sectors of Bac Giang province to build production plans and orientations for farming zones; carry out transport system, irrigation, fruit market, and fruit processing planning; and launch incentives to encourage businesses and cooperatives to form connectivity in cultivating, processing, and selling key fruits. Oanh noted that in the time ahead, Luc Ngan will expand the lychee, orange, and pomelo areas farmed in accordance with VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards; increase communications to encourage farmers to use organic and biological plant protection products; boost the monitoring of environmental protection in fruit cultivation; and adopt measures to raise value and achieve sustainable development in fruit farming, processing, and sale. Efforts will also be made to step up the transfer and application of scientific and technical advances to cultivation, strongly develop processing facilities, advertise and build brands for local fruits, and make use of fruit growing to foster eco-tourism, according to the official. Luc Ngan boasts favourable climate and soil conditions for the cultivation of various fruits. Apart from lychee that it has long been famous for, many other fruits of the district have also won over preference from both domestic and foreign consumers. Fruit cultivation and associated services earn Luc Ngan trillions of VND every year. The district is currently home to about 28,000ha under fruit trees. That includes nearly 15,300ha of lychee (with over 12,000ha following VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards) that generates about 90,000 – 130,000 tonnes of fruit annually, and 7,000ha of citrus trees with an annual output 50,000 – 60,000 tonnes. Many local farmers have enjoyed better living standards thanks to horticulture, which has helped raise the average per capita income in Luc Ngan to 95 million VND (over 4,120 USD) in 2020./.