Viet Yen develops VietGAP specialized agricultural production areas

The Party Committee of Viet Yen district aims to affirm the foothold of local farm produce in markets both in and outside Bac Giang province during the first half of its tenure. One of the solutions employed by the Standing Board of the district Party Committee is focusing on developing specialized agricultural production areas following VietGAP standards. 

Members of the Minh Tam agricultural cooperative in Viet Tien commune, Viet Yen district are harvesting cucumber.

Right track

Aware that this is one of the hard tasks, since the beginning of the term, the Standing Board of the district Party Committee has asked communes and towns to actively popularise the policy of developing commodity agriculture. The district People’s Committee has assigned specialized divisions and communes to take the initiative in transferring technologies and guiding local farmers how to follow VietGAP standard in production.

After the first half of the tenure, the district granted VietGAP certificates to 68.7 hectares of crops in Quang Minh, Trung Son, Nghia Trung and Viet Tien communes, along with 19 hectares of aquaculture in Nghia Trung commune. According to the Standing Board, the VietGAP specialized agricultural production areas have helped improve productivity and economic efficiency, with income estimated at 108 million VND (4,644 USD) per ha in 2017.

In August 2017, the Minh Tam agricultural cooperative in Viet Tien commune was put into operation with 60 net houses. The district People’s Committee has invested more than 4 billion VND (172,000 USD) in building frames and net houses and transferring technologies to local people. The cooperative mainly purchases cucumber and non-pungent pepper and supplies these products to G.O.C Food Processing Export JSC in Lang Giang district in the same province.

“We cooperate with the business, thus prices remain stable, with cucumber at 9,000 VND (0,387 USD) per kg and pepper, 13,000 VND (0,559 USD) per kg. Meanwhile, the prices in the market have fluctuated. Initial calculations show that each hectare brought about 500 million VND - 600 million VND (21,500 USD - 25,800 USD) in the first crop,” said Giap Thi Thao, Deputy Director of the cooperative.

Recently, more than 50 hectares of vegetables of the cooperative have satisfied VietGap standard. The unit is preparing to build a preliminary processing and preservation area of farm produce in order to raise product quality while completing procedures to register for the barcode to affirm its brand name in the market.

Multi-party coordination needed

Viet Yen has more than 9,400 hectares of farmland and nearly 100,000 heads of livestock each year. A number of specialized agricultural production areas have been formed in the locality. The district is now home to up to 55 agricultural models using high technology. The results are attributable to the high consensus reached by all-level Party organizations and authorities, and people. Each unit registering for VietGAP certificate will receive 10 million VND - 15 million VND (430 USD – 645 USD) from the district which has invested tens of billions of Vietnam dong in hi-tech agriculture.

However, in fact, the quantities of VietGAP-recognised areas have yet to match potential. Some unplanned specialized agricultural production areas show a lack of sustainability. The connection between the State, businesses, scientists and farmers remains weak. Local farmers mainly use traditional farming methods and have low awareness of the market, thus hindering the building of brand names. The seafood production group in Tinh Loc village, Nghia Trung commune is an example, with only 19ha out of 30ha of 26 participating households getting VietGAP certificates.

Le O Pich, Secretary of the district Party Committee and Chairman of the district People’s Committee, said to achieve the set targets, it needs the participation of the entire political system. The implementation process should go in tandem with the local socio-economic development programme. Recently, the district has ratified a project on agricultural production, aiming to build the brand name for Viet Yen vegetables and fruits. The project also details levels of support. Besides, farmers should change production mindset and proactively join the model.