A ceremony was held in Đồng Tháp Province on May 7 to mark its first export consignment of lotus to Japan. — Photo thanhnien.vn

ĐỒNG THÁP — Đồng Tháp Province has exported to Japan its first ever batch of frozen lotus roots, a key crop of the province.

Đại Việt Lotus Foods JSC and the Đồng Tháp Lotus Industry Association held a ceremony to mark the shipment in Tháp Mười District on May 7.

Around 15 tonnes sourced from Đồng Tháp and other provinces in the Mekong Delta worth VNĐ980 million were shipped.

Nguyễn Xuân Thắng, deputy chairman of the association and general director of the company, said lotuses grow all year round in the delta.

Japan consumes around 100,000 tonnes of the root a year, while China requires two million tonnes.

Thắng said that Japan is a demanding market with strict requirements, and his company had negotiated with the importer numerous times before being able to export lotus roots frozen using individual quick freezing technology.

This year it plans to export another eight containers worth nearly VNĐ7 billion, he said.

The company is also working with Korean businesses to export its lotus products there as well.

Đoàn Thanh Bình, chairman of Tháp Mười District People's Committee, said the exports are due to the efforts of authorities and businesses in Đồng Tháp, which have helped the province’s lotus enter demanding markets around the world.

Farmers need to maintain the quality of lotus and connect with exporters so that their lotus and other products could continue to be exported to Japan, he said.

The event is part of the upcoming Đồng Tháp Lotus Festival on May 16, which aims to highlight the province’s lotus products.

It was successfully organised two years ago, attracting around 20,000 visitors.

Đồng Tháp has around 1,800ha of lotus farms, and produces a variety of products such as tea, dried seeds and cosmetic items from the flower.

The lotus industry is identified as a key one, with the flower being incorporated into its cultural and tourism branding. VNS