NINH THUẬN – Ninh Thuận Province will organise the 2023 Grape and Wine Festival from June 13 to 18 to promote one of its most lucrative agricultural produce and attract tourists.

Nguyễn Tri Long, deputy director of its Department of Information and Communication, said the biennial festival seeks to build a brand for the province’s grapes and honour various ethnic cultures.

This year’s festival will be bigger than previous ones with fairs, musical performances, a grapevine trellis contest, vineyard tours, and conferences on the development of grape farming and processing.

Trương Khắc Trí, deputy director of the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the fruit is the fourth biggest in terms of value among Ninh Thuận’s crops.

The province has 1,060ha under grape, which is slated to double to 2,000ha by 2030, he said.

In recent years the quality and variety of Ninh Thuận’s grapes have been growing, and the province is pushing for more hi-tech and organic farming, he said.

Ninh Thuận plans to have supportive policies for grape farmers so that they can adopt modern technologies, facilitate research into new grape strains and improve their processing, especially for wine making.

Festival attendees can also visit the province’s Bàu Trúc Pottery Village, Mỹ Nghiệp Brocade Weaving Village and the Núi Chúa Biosphere Reserve.

There will be a ceremony to accept a certificate from UNESCO that acknowledges the art of pottery-making by the Chăm people as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. VNS