Ninh Thuan (VNA) – Developing special agricultural products in tandem withtourism has helped farmers in the central coastal province of Ninh Thuanpromote on-the-spot consumption of their produce.

The local climateis ideal for breeding sheep and goat and growing grapes, asparagus, garlic,aloe vera and spinosum seaweed, which are competitive products in Ninh Thuan’s targetmarkets.

To promote localagricultural products, Ninh Thuan has focused on agriculture-based tourism overthe years, with tours to orchards in Ninh Hai, Ninh Phuoc and Ninh Sondistricts, and sheep pastures in Ninh Hai and Bac Ai districts.

Nguyen Khac Phong,Director of Thai An Agricultural Service Cooperative in Vinh Hai commune, NinhHai district, said tours to vineyards have helped visitors explore grapeproduction and processing, while raising the income of local farmers.

To meet increasingdemand for such tours, the province has assigned the cooperative to plant a newgrape variety of high quality and productivity.  

Ninh Thuan has chosen 12 special products for2018-20 - grapes, jujube, asparagus, garlic, aloe vera, spinosum seaweed,shrimp seeds, sheep, goats, black pigs, yellow oxen and cows and Ninh Sonfruit, said Tran Quoc Nam, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.

The province has invested in infrastructure inlocalities with potential for agriculture-based tourism, connected travelcompanies with farms, supported startups in this field, increased productmanagement, set up sites introducing the products, and improved tourism quality.

The province’s grape and sheep have been grantedgeographical indication status.

The locality has collective brand names for NinhThuan jujube, Phan Rang garlic, Van Hai VietGAP grapes, Bac Ai black pigs, MyNghiep brocade weaving and Bau Truc pottery.

It also has special certification marks forgoats, aloe vera, green asparagus, shrimp seed, spinosum seaweed, Ca Na fishsauce and Ninh Son fruits.

With the potential, the locality is expected tolaunch more agriculture-based tours in the future.-VNA