Can Tho farmers tap local agriculture for tourism development

Following a knocking sound to get their attention, feed was thrown out and a whole school of snakehead fish jumped out of the water for the bait.

On Le Trung Tin’s farm in Binh Thuy district, Can Tho city, snakehead fish net cages are interspersed between guava orchards and lotus ponds.

With his “fancy trick” to condition snakehead fish to leap out of the water when feed is thrown, Tin has made Sơn Islet one of the most popular destinations in Can Tho. Many tourists come to see the flying snakehead fish, said Tin.

“I thought if I could make the whole school of fish leap out of the water, it would attract more visitors. I spent time and effort training the fish. I was successful after a few months. Since 2016, I have trained the fish to fly up whenever visitors call.”

Others on Son Islet have trained catfish eating on the land, snakehead fish to suck from a bottle, and frogs to do circus tricks for the tourists.

Can Tho city is surrounded by a dense network of rivers and canals with a total length of 3,400km, accounting for nearly 13% of the length of rivers in 13 Mekong Delta provinces and cities. The main rivers flowing through the city are the Hau River, the Don Dang River, the Rach Soi River, the O Mon River, and the Can Tho River.

To make full use of this advantage, Can Tho has developed a floating market system to attract tourists.

Held annually, the “Cai Rang Floating Market Cultural Tourism Festival” showcases a competition of boat and ship models, floating market where agricultural and other local products are sold on boats, an exhibition of traditional cakes, a Can Tho beauty contest, and performances of folk music, including Don Ca Tai Tu (southern amateur music).

With the advantage of tropical climate, households in Can Tho have developed eco-tourism, and orchards are always crowded with tourists.

Nguyen Van Chin, the owner of the 9 Hong Fruit Orchard in Can Tho city, said that he has to make full use of the land to plant trees of various kinds because an ecological garden must have fruits all year round – strawberry, rambutan, durian, and star-apple.

As a result, “We receive many visitors, especially at weekends,” said Chin.

Tour operators have worked closely with orchard owners to increase the income from agricultural products.

According to Le Hong Cam, Director of the Can Tho Eco Resort in Phong Dien district, they have cooperated with farmers to develop tourism products and increase the value of farm produce.

“Can Tho Eco Resort is linked with several orchards to turn out new products and services. For example, boat tours of the orchards where tourists can pick their own fruits, vegetables, and fish,” said Cam.

Orchards, canals, and rivers are unique features of the Mekong Delta and Can Tho city in particular, which not only enrich the local spiritual life, but also create economic values and improve their living standards.

vovworld.vn