Workers check mangoes for export. An Giang Province expects to export about 5-10 tonnes of mangoes to the US next month. — Photo congthuong.vn

AN GIANG — The Mekong Delta province of An Giang plans to export about 5-10 tonnes of mangoes to the US in June, according to deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lữ Cẩm Khường.

Exports of mangoes to the US next month would be an important turning point for An Giang, paving a new path for the fruit, he said.

The province had previously focused on the domestic market and exports to China.

He added that his department had worked with co-operatives with mangoes that met Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) in local districts to review the quality and quantity of the fruit for export.

People’s committees in those districts had signed a deal with Chánh Thu Export and Import Fruit Company Limited in Chợ Lách District, southern Bến Tre Province, to grow and export mangoes.

The company has agreed to collaborate with Tri Tôn and Tịnh Biên to build mango plantations that meet international standards to export to choosy markets, especially the US.

Director of the An Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Sỹ Lâm said to develop the local mango brand, the department would accelerate the issuance of codes to some areas in many regions, including Chợ Mới, An Phú, Tri Tôn and Tịnh Biên districts, Tân Châu Town and Long Xuyên City.

So far, the codes have been granted to eighteen mango growing areas in An Giang that meet export standards with a total area of nearly 244 hectares.

According to the provincial Statistics Office, An Giang had nearly 9,700 hectares of mangoes in 2018. The area of mangoes meeting VietGAP standards was about 193ha with estimated output of 1,900 tonnes per year. — VNS