The south central province of Ninh Thuận, the country’s largest grape producer, plans to expand cultivation of grapes grown under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGap) and link tourism with sustainable development. — VNS Photo Văn Châu

NINH THUẬN — The south-central province of Ninh Thuận, the country’s largest grape producer, plans to expand cultivation of grapes grown under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGap) and link tourism to sustainable development.

Grapes have long been a specialty of Ninh Thuận Province. Besides sweet grapes, wine grapes are also planted in the central coastal locality. However, supply has yet to meet domestic demand, according to farmer Lê Thị Tươi, who spoke during a seminar in Ninh Thuận Province last week.

The seminar was part of the Grape and Wine Festival that took place from April 26 to May 2.

The festival promotes local landscapes and local people's culture, and introduces local specialties to Vietnamese and foreign tourists, while offering opportunities for grape farmers, businesses and consumers to meet and seek partners. 

With his 40-year experience in planting grapes, Nguyễn Văn Mọi, director of the Ba Mọi Grapes and Grapevines Company, has contributed to the brand name of wine grapes in Ninh Thuận Province. He grows both edible and wine grapes and has developed a closed chain from garden to table.

Besides Ba Mọi’s firm, hundreds of local cooperatives have joined the supply chain of wine grapes. However, supply has not met local demand.

Ninh Thuận is capable of growing 8,000 hectares of grapes, but the current total area of grape cultivation is around 1,200 hectares, with only 5 percent being wine grapes. The province will expand the grape cultivation area to 2,000 ha in 2025 and 3,000 ha in 2030.

The province also plans to promote cultural values, famous landscapes and tourism products, and create a platform for tourism authorities and travel agents to meet investors.

Ninh Thuận has favourable conditions to develop tourism, which has been shown over the past five years, Moi said, adding that tourism revenue and the number of tourists have increased, particularly during weekends and holidays.

The province will continue to create a favourable investment environment, offering special land rental prices, preferential taxes and streamlined investment procedures, he said.

The province also plans to create a large field for planting grapes which is set to become a tourist attraction.

“Large fields will enable businesses to secure product outlets and make market forecasts. Large-scale production also enables quality control and transfer of technology,” Mọi said.

The large-scale grape field model is being expanded this year. Each locality has its own model, but farmers in all areas will receive help to increase their productivity and find outlets. 

During the recent Grape and Wine Festival, the wine grape is promoted with a view to boosting the production of grape and grape products in the province, including wine. The event drew 120,000 visitors, three times higher than the same time last year.

Ninh Thuận has a 105km coastline with many pristine and serene beaches, including Bình Tiên, Ninh Chữ and Cà Ná.
Its Vĩnh Hy Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in the country, and the Núi Chúa National Park is home to 1,500 plant species, 160 bird species and 60 mammal species.
The province, the driest and hottest region in the country, is well known for its white sandy beaches and vast gardens of grapes, onions and hot peppers. 

Last year, Ninh Thuận welcomed 2.19 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 15.3 per cent. Tourism turnover reached VNĐ1.05 trillion ($45 million), a year-on-year increase of 18.9 per cent.

The province has 145 accommodation facilities with a total of 3,100 rooms. — VNS