The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong is looking to bring back thepopularity of the local specialty Laba banana, once reserved for onlythe royalty and French colonialists.
First introduced inthe Laba-Phu Son area (now Duc Trong and Lam Ha districts) in the early1920s, Laba banana was known for its special taste and flavour.However, due to widespread cultivation and a lack of investment, thebanana strain’s yield and fruit quality have been declining.
To rescue the plant’s fame, in 2007, the Duc Trong district Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Development launched a research project onreviving and developing Laba banana.
As a result, theprovincial Department of Science and Technology has recently awarded atrademark certificate to the fruit, paving the way for banana growersand businesses to expand domestic consumption and export of Lababananas.
Laba is now grown in over 250 hectares, mostly in Duc Trong, Don Duong and Lam Ha districts.
Besides the domestic market, the banana has been exported to several countries.
Le Sy Cong, Director of the Laba Lam Dong Co., Ltd., said last year hiscompany shipped about 500 tonnes of Laba banana to Australia andChina. Earlier this year, some Japanese partners expressed theirinterest in this product.
He also emphasised the needto expand the growing area of Laba and improve the quality of the bananain order to meet the increasing demands.-VNA
First introduced inthe Laba-Phu Son area (now Duc Trong and Lam Ha districts) in the early1920s, Laba banana was known for its special taste and flavour.However, due to widespread cultivation and a lack of investment, thebanana strain’s yield and fruit quality have been declining.
To rescue the plant’s fame, in 2007, the Duc Trong district Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Development launched a research project onreviving and developing Laba banana.
As a result, theprovincial Department of Science and Technology has recently awarded atrademark certificate to the fruit, paving the way for banana growersand businesses to expand domestic consumption and export of Lababananas.
Laba is now grown in over 250 hectares, mostly in Duc Trong, Don Duong and Lam Ha districts.
Besides the domestic market, the banana has been exported to several countries.
Le Sy Cong, Director of the Laba Lam Dong Co., Ltd., said last year hiscompany shipped about 500 tonnes of Laba banana to Australia andChina. Earlier this year, some Japanese partners expressed theirinterest in this product.
He also emphasised the needto expand the growing area of Laba and improve the quality of the bananain order to meet the increasing demands.-VNA
