Dong Thap diversifies lotus products

Lotus-related products are sold at a store of Ecolotus Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Dong Thap – Lotus growers in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have won big as their efforts to diversify lotus products pay off.

As of the end of October this year, the province had over 1,108 ha of lotus producing 12,163 tonnes of lotus fruit. The plant is mainly grown in the districts of Thap Muoi, Cao Lanh, Tam Nong, and Thanh Binh.

Each kilogramme of lotus fruit is sold at about 20,000 VND (0.79 USD) on average, enabling the growers to earn an average profit of over 42 million VND per ha.

Dong Thap has over 100 products made from lotus, including food and cosmetics; of which 56 lotus products meet the standards of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme, including lotus flower tea, lotus plumule tea, lotus leaf tea, fresh lotus seeds, and dried lotus seeds.

The annual production value of the lotus industry in Dong Thap exceeds 1.9 trillion VND.

Lotus is one of the five key products in the province’s agriculture restructuring plan, as products made from the flower have been exported, providing high incomes for farmers.

The province, well known as the land of pink lotuses, has developed lotus-related tourism products such as tours to lotus fields and cuisine tours featuring foods made from the flower. It wants to develop lotus cultivation in combination with sustainable cultural and tourism development, towards preserving traditional cultural values, historical sites, traditional crafts, and the lifestyles of local people.

Nguyen Truong An, a farmer in My Hoa Commune, Thap Muoi district, has started tourism utilising his lotus ponds.

An said profit from selling lotus fruit is uncertain. He has converted 3 ha of lotus to an eco-tourism site and sold lotus seeds, leaves, and flowers for processors and tourists, which helped him to earn much more.

Meanwhile, Ho Thi Diem Thuy, from Thap Muoi district, learned how to make lotus seek milk to make the most of the available abundant raw materials.

Currently, she makes about 1,300 bottles of fresh lotus milk daily, getting an annual profit of around 400 million VND. She plans to expand production and pilot deeper processing products like powdered lotus milk.

Dried lotus leaves are used to make a bag. (Photo: VNA)

Huynh Van Hiep, Director of the Nam Huy Dong Thap company in Hoa Tan commune, Chau Thanh district, has seen significant demand for his 5-star OCOP certified dried lotus seeds in the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, central provinces, Hanoi, Southeast Asia, the EU, and the Republic of Korea.

Currently, Dong Thap province has 22 establishments and enterprises producing a variety of products from different parts of the lotus plant.

Dong Thap aims to develop the lotus industry, targeting 1,400 ha by 2025 and yearly output of 1,148 tonnes. It will also speed up a pilot project of 100 ha of lotus in Thap Muoi district to develop lotus varieties that are suitable for local conditions and then expand production.

The province plans to develop at least 11 processed lotus products that meet criteria of One Commune-One Product (OCOP) programme. It eyes to have 60 OCOP lotus products by 2025./.