The Central Highlands province of Lam Dong and its Da Lat city have granted the official certificate “Hoa Da Lat” (Da Lat Flowers) to locally produced flowers.

The certification is among steps to improve the standing of the Da Lat Flower in the current competitive market and economic integration, whilst boosting the entire industry in the city in terms of market expansion and export growth.

In order to obtain the certificate, each flower variety must meet strict standards on quality, shape, size, and scent. Details on farm, origin, and time of harvest are also considered during the certification process.

Since the first flower, Cymbidium, was granted the “Da Lat Flower” certificate, a total of 11 varieties have been certified, including rose, daisy, carnation, gladiolus, and gerbera. All of which are considered Da Lat flower specialties.

At present, Lam Dong province has over 7,000 ha of flower farming land, making it the nation’s biggest flower producer. Of which, Da Lat owns over 4,400 ha.

In 2013, the province produced 2.13 billion flowers, including 1.44 billion in Da Lat.

The same year, about 190 million Da Lat flowers were shipped to foreign markets, including Japan , Australia , China , the US , Thailand , Cambodia , and some EU countries.

In the first seven months of this year, the province earned 16 million USD from exporting more than 100 million flowers, accounting for 5.9 percent of its total export revenue.-VNA