According to Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien - Vice Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, the first provincial-level Fruit Festival is a specific step to realize that goal. The event is built on the foundation of three pillars closely linked together: agricultural product promotion, tourism stimulus and local brand positioning.
The festival not only promotes specialty fruits but also introduces the value chain of industries, from raw material areas, safe production to processing, logistics and e-commerce. Fruits are also exploited to develop experiential tourism, extend stays and increase tourist spending.
Further, Dong Thap wants to make the image of "Sweet Land" a local identity brand.
The province's biggest expectation is not the number of days of the festival but to create long-term development momentum. The festival will not close after the closing night but will start a new journey - a journey to take Dong Thap fruit further with value and belief" - Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien emphasized.
In the modern consumption trend, agricultural products not only need quality but also transparency, safety and environmental friendliness. Therefore, Dong Thap positions the "green and safe fruit capital" as a long-term strategy to increase the value of agricultural products and ensure sustainable livelihoods.
To realize this goal, the province focuses on building a modern production ecosystem based on digital transformation, standardizing raw material areas, managing planting area codes and strengthening product traceability. Along with that is encouraging environmentally friendly farming models, towards reducing emissions and developing circular agriculture.
One of the notable highlights of the 1st Dong Thap Fruit Festival is the design of more than 20 activities in the direction of multi-sectoral linkage, creating a connection between agriculture, technology and culture.
In addition to product introduction and trade connection activities, the festival also creates an impression with the mapping art screening program "Returning to listen to the river tell stories" at Hung Vuong Square. Through lighting technology, water music and modern visual effects, stories about rivers, craft villages, floating markets and the labor journey of Dong Thap farmers are vividly recreated in front of the public. This combination shows the new development approach of the locality. Mangoes, tangerines or other specialty fruits are no longer simply agricultural products but are gradually becoming tourism products, cultural products and representatives of local brands.
When culture and technology become part of the agricultural value chain, consumers will better understand the story behind each product. That is also a way to increase the value of agricultural products, attract investment and create more resources to return to serve production.
From a fruit festival, Dong Thap is sending a bigger message about the development path of modern agriculture: Not chasing output, but towards value, identity and sustainability.
