Green-skinned tượng (elephant) mangoes, a specialty of An Hữu Commune, Cái Bè District in Tiền Giang Province, are delivered for the first time to the US on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Sang

TIỀN GIANG — The Mekong Delta province of Tiền Giang marked the inaugural shipment of green-skinned tượng (elephant) mangoes to the US on Wednesday.

A ceremony was held in An Hữu commune in Cái Bè District, renowned for its specialised cultivation of the mangoes, to celebrate the shipment.

One tonne of the staple was exported through a partnership between the VINA T&T Import-Export Trading Service Co., Ltd and the Thanh Bình Agricultural Products Import-Export Trading Co., Ltd.

Vice Chairman of the province's People’s Committee Phạm Văn Trọng stressed that the event not only marks a new step forward in the local agricultural sector’s trade promotion efforts, but also contributes to enhancing the value of Vietnamese agricultural products in international markets.

"The official shipment of the fruit followed extensive negotiations between Vietnamese and US authorities, creating new pathways for local produce to reach the world," he said.

Trọng asked relevant departments to complete plans for expanding mango cultivation areas tailored to local soil conditions, and make appropriate infrastructure investments.

He asked Cái Bè District authorities to guide farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises on traceability protocols and production standards like VietGAP and GlobalGAP to ensure food safety and quality for exports, while properly managing production unit codes and packing facilities.

Tiền Giang recorded about US$6.5 billion in total export turnover in 2024, a 19.5 per cent increase from the previous year, with agricultural and aquatic products accounting for 11.08 per cent of this figure.

Building on this foundation, it eyes some $7 billion in exports this year, a year-on-year rise of 7.41 per cent. — VNS