Consider drying 80,000 tons of longan to limit Covid-19’s impact

A good beginning of the crop

As claimed by the People's Committee of Son La province, in 2021, the total longan area of the whole province is over 19,200 ha (about 12,000ha has been harvested), concentrated in districts such as Song Ma, Mai Son, Yen Chau, Muong La…

When longan ripens early, the consumption of cooperatives and longan households still run smoothly. Many customers in the provinces, processing and exporting companies have placed large orders, so the selling price is relatively high.

Mr. Luong Van Muoi, Director of Hoa Muoi Agricultural Service Cooperative, Huoi Bo village, Chieng Khoong (Song Ma), shared that his cooperative has 30 hectares of longan growing in accordance with VietGAP standards. This year's longan crop is estimated at over 200 tons, an increase of about 40 tons compared to the same period in 2020.

The cooperative has sold 2.5 tons of early ripening longan to the EU and UK markets. The selling price is kept at a relatively high level, VND 33,000 to 36,000/kg for the domestic market, and VND 40,000/kg for export longan.

Main-crop longan faces difficulties in consumption

When the main-crop longan entered the harvest period, it was also the time when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out strongly in provinces and cities across the country. Many previously traditional consumption markets had to apply social distancing to prevent epidemics, which greatly affected domestic consumption as well as the longan processing activities for export.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Song Ma district, shared that the Covid-19 epidemic has greatly affected the consumption and export of longan in the district, especially the transportation and circulation of label products to foreign markets.

Information on consumption markets in some importing countries is still limited (quarantine regulations, packaging, preliminary processing, preservation ...). In addition, several traditional businesses and traders in localities are having to implement social distancing, so they cannot directly participate in consumption and export activities.

In a similar manner, Mr. Dao Ngoc Bang, Director of Hoang Tuan Agricultural Service Cooperative in Hai Son village, Chieng Khoong commune (Song Ma), said that in the consumption plan of the cooperative, there will be 5 tons of longan exported to the EU market and 100 tons to the Chinese market, but until now, only about 20% of the initial plan has been achieved.

Consider drying 80,000 tons of longan

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of Son La Provincial People's Committee, said that in order to reduce pressure on consumption and maintain the selling price of longan products, Son La province has set a target in the 2021 crop year that among the 113,000 tons output, 80,000 tons will be preliminarily processed, processing about to make dried longan. On July 28th, the People's Committee of the province has issued a decision on a plan to support investment in facilities for preliminary processing, processing and preservation of longan and other agricultural products.

On that basis, the Department of Industry and Trade of Son La province has developed two plans for longan consumption, processing and export in the context of Covid-19 epidemic prevention and control.

Option 1: In case the Covid-19 situation still has complicated development, only several provinces and cities across the country must implement social distancing, then focus on consuming longan in the domestic market through wholesale markets, supermarkets, and the distribution and retail stores system nationwide with an expected quantity of over 33,800 tons. Fresh longan products put into processing are estimated at 57,500 tons, about 8,000 tons will be exported.

Option 2: In case the Covid-19 situation still has complicated development, all provinces have to social distance, further put fresh longan into processing to make dried longan with an estimated longan output of about 80,000 tons (equivalent to 8,000 tons of dried longan). Longan products for domestic consumption are expected to reach over 19,100 tons.

The province focuses on introducing and promoting longan products on mass media and e-commerce platforms, and at the same time working with units under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with businesses to find consumption markets, focal points to import and export new agricultural products.