Increase value of signature farm produce

Hiep Hoa district (Bac Giang province) has many signature products preferred by a wide range of customers such as Thai Son glutinous rice, Hoang Luong water dropwort and Van Chung cake among others. The district is now highly focusing on increasing the productivity and quality as well as building the trademark to improve the economic value for the farm produce.

Thai Son glutinous rices are packed.

Strictly control the production procedure

Hiep Hoa has about 200 hectares of pomelo. It is now the harvest time for the pomelo in the communes of Luong Phong, Doan Bai, Mai Trung and Hung Son.

Family of Nguyen Van Soan in Mai Phong village has grown pomelo since 2011. He planted 250 pomelo trees on 8 sao (old measuring unit equal to 360 square meters) of high fields. After 3 years, the tradesmen visited his orchard to order the fruits. This year, he estimated to harvest some 20,000 fruits.

Similarly, the district People’s Committee also paid due attention to stamping the Thai Son glutinous rice before selling to the market. Now, the products are packed with eye catching label and package, making them suitable to be gift. The rice is now consumed easily with the price of 30,000 VND per kilogram (1.29 USD).

Since 2018 after joining One Commune One Product Programme, the communal People’s Committee has focused on exchanging and gathering the fields then calling for 200 member households of Production Association of Thai Son glutinous rice to expand the cultivation area up to 55 hectares (this year increasing 5 hectares more comparing to 2018).

Thanks to the strict application of bio-safety procedure, the productivity has reached the record high figure of 4.1 tonnes per hectare so far.

“Since December 2019, all products are bought, packed and stamped for origin traceability by the Production Association which helps create the belief to the customers, build a stable consumption market and support farmers to focus on production,” said Nguyen Xuan Ha, Deputy Chairman of Thai Son communal People’s Committee.

Focus on production promotion

Hiep Hoa district has 19 typical, signature and potential agricultural products such as Van Chung cake, Hiep Hoa pomelo, VietGAP Hoang Luong water dropwort, Thai Son glutinous rice, organic pork..., most of which are protected for the commodity brands to affirm the quality on the market.

Now, several products of pork, chicken egg, sausage, pork paste and hams of Hai Thinh Cooperative have been sold at Vincom supermarket while the melons of Dong Tam 3 Cooperative are consumed to supply to Big C supermarket.

According to the Head of the district Division of Agriculture and Rural Development, the district People’s Committee prioritized the expense to support to build the facilities, trademarks, collective brands and stamp for origin traceability for the products.

To complete the set plan, since early 2019, the local authority had approved for the project “Systematizing the management, production, origin traceability and trade promotion for the typical products” with the cost of 400 million VND (over 17,200 USD) chaired by the district Center of Agriculture Technical Service (CATS).

CATS Director Nguyen Quoc My shared that the orchard owners are supported by the professional officers in term of cultivation and caring techniques. Several units were installed the camera to supervise the production procedures such as Hai Thinh Cooperatives, Tai Vinh Mushroom Cooperative, Dong Tam 3 High Technology Agriculture Cooperative.

As schedule, the CATS will issue some 10,000 stamp for origin traceability for the product before selling to the markets.

In 2019, the district Farmers’ Association set up 3 new cooperatives and made debut the integration model of Hiep Hoa organic agricultural cooperatives while supporting 50 – 80 million VND (2,100 – 3,400 USD) to each membrane club and cooperative to expand the production.

This year, the productivity and quality of many farm produces in Hiep Hoa district has been highly evaluated comparing to last year. In the year end months, the CATS staff have boosted up the communication and product promotion on the portal Hiephoaocop.vn and the supermarkets in and outside the province.

Additionally, the construction of exhibition building for agricultural products is accelerated in an area of over 200 square meters at Thang town to be completed in this December. It will be a trusted address to introduce and supply the signature, typical farm produce of the district to the customers.