The trio of breakthroughs for Thai Nguyen agricultural products

Implementing Decision No. 194/QD-TTg dated February 9, 2021 of the Prime Minister, Thai Nguyen province has developed an agricultural value chain associated with modern logistics - traceability - protection and intellectual property protection. The successful registration of the "Thai Nguyen Tea" trademark in 6 countries along with a system of growing area codes and storage warehouses helps to enhance the brand and increase sustainable value for local agricultural products.

Currently, tea production cooperatives in the province are all aiming for safe production processes.

Build traceability and inventory

In the period of 2021-2025, implementing Decision No. 194/QD-TTg, Thai Nguyen province focuses on building an agricultural value chain with a focus on traceability, preservation, storage and export support. Currently, the whole province has 51 growing area codes (36 tea codes, 10 rice codes, 3 fruit tree codes, 1 bamboo shoot code, 1 vegetable code), of which 33 export codes and 18 domestic codes meet the requirements according to TCCS 774:2020/BVTV.

The growing area codes are attached with 6 GPS global positioning systems to track and trace the origin of the products and comply with the prescribed criteria (this is a mandatory requirement of the markets and international practices to ensure compliance with the importing country's regulations on plant quarantine, food safety and traceability).

Mr. Dang Van Huy, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Thai Nguyen, said: Traceability is not only a requirement of import markets but also a way to manage quality from the source. Attaching the growing area code to GPS positioning helps the province's products have a clear and transparent 'passport' for agricultural products.

Tan Thanh Cooperative applies GIS system to manage growing area information and link growing areas of turmeric.

Along with that, Thai Nguyen has stepped up investment in modern warehouse systems. The extended air cargo warehouse project in Yen Binh Industrial Park (invested by ASL Group) has an area of 3 hectares, a capacity of 100,000 tons/year, integrating security screening, customs procedures, weighing, loading and unloading... to serve exports, especially for the factory of Samsung Group (Korea) and logistics enterprises.

In the livestock sector, the province currently has 150 VietGAP certified facilities, 42 facilities meeting disease safety standards and 746 biosafety pig and chicken farms. In addition, Thai Nguyen has formed 22 production - slaughter - product consumption chains and has 13 joint venture and livestock processing companies. Some large projects such as high-tech pig farming, biosafety dairy and poultry farms are being invested in localities with suitable land funds.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Loan, representative of Trong Khoi Company Limited, Dong Hy Commune: The company was approved by the province to invest in a high-tech pig and chicken farming project combining perennial crop planting and biofertilizer production. The scale of the project includes: 9,600 sows, 80,000 pigs, 640 chickens, with a total initial investment of 300 billion VND. Currently, the enterprise is focusing on implementing technical infrastructure, striving to complete the project by mid-2026, forming a production chain, promoting agricultural development in the locality.

For wood products to be eligible for export, a mandatory requirement is to have a sustainable forest management certificate (FSC). To date, Thai Nguyen has nearly 3,000 hectares of forest certified by FSC, exceeding the target set by Resolution No. 10-NQ/TU by 2025 of 1,400 hectares.

There are currently many large-scale wood processing enterprises in the province, such as: Viet Bac Plywood Joint Stock Company, UJU VINA Thai Nguyen Company Limited, Hoang Van Thu Paper Factory, Dongwha Factory (Diem Thuy Industrial Park), Ke Go Company Limited (Thanh Binh Industrial Park)... with a total capacity of hundreds of thousands of tons of products per year. Many forestry products of Thai Nguyen have been exported to markets such as: China, Korea, Japan...

The area of planted forests in the province granted FSC forest certification is increasing.

Mr. Trinh Duc Kien, Deputy Director of Ke Go Company Limited, said: The company operates in the field of wood production in the northern region of Thai Nguyen province, with the main markets being European countries and the US - where there are strict requirements on legal wood origin and sustainable exploitation. In 2024, the Company has cooperated with people in Yen Phong and Nghia Ta communes to build a sustainable forest management profile and implement FSC certification. This is considered an important "passport", helping the province's wood products access international markets.

Expand export markets

Along with developing the value chain, Thai Nguyen pays special attention to investing in logistics infrastructure, tracing the origin and protecting agricultural product brands. To date, the province has protected intellectual property rights for 24 local specialty products, of which the “Thai Nguyen Tea” brand has been successfully registered in 6 countries. Many other products such as turmeric, vermicelli, fragrant green squash, sticky rice, etc. are also being supported to establish geographical indications and complete trademark protection dossiers.

Yen Duong Cooperative in Thuong Minh Commune is one of the typical models in building an agricultural raw material area according to national and Japanese organic standards. "The Cooperative applies the GIS system to manage information on growing areas, linking 219 households growing arrowroot and developing more than 40 hectares of aromatic green squash that meet organic standards. Thanks to that, products such as arrowroot vermicelli, aromatic pumpkin tea, and Tai sticky rice all meet 3-4 star OCOP standards, aiming for export" - Ms. Ma Thi Ninh, Director of the Cooperative shared.

Dutch experts support Yen Duong Cooperative to improve the quality of squash growing areas.

Thai Nguyen province has also actively promoted digital transformation in the agricultural sector. Since 2021, it has built and operated a website specializing in tea, integrating a product traceability system, online payment and fanpage on social networks. Through this platform, over 150 tea products and more than 100 agricultural products of 82 units, enterprises and cooperatives in the area have been granted QR codes for traceability, contributing to improving market access and meeting transparency and export standards.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Quyet, Vice Chairman of Van Han Commune People's Committee: According to the results of land statistics, after the merger, Van Han commune has 5,500 hectares of forest land. Of which, 2,774.9 hectares with 160 households have been granted FSC certification. This is an important step in sustainable forest management, contributing to increasing economic value and expanding opportunities for consuming wood products in the export chain. The locality is continuing to review and mobilize people to join the FSC household group, aiming to form a certified forest area on an inter-commune scale.

On the basis of improving the quality and transparency of product origin, Thai Nguyen strongly attracts investment in production and processing, leading to increased demand for logistics. With its central location in the Northern midlands and mountains, convenient transportation system and Da Phuc inland waterway port, 54 container transport units, nearly 1,500 regular freight transport units, and 3 customs clearance points, helping to shorten customs clearance time, supporting import and export.

Implementing Decision No. 194/QD-TTg, the province synchronizes from planting area codes, traceability to logistics and brand protection, effectively serving both agricultural exports and industrial goods and components for FDI enterprises. Mr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, affirmed: Logistics development is the driving force connecting production - consumption - export. Thai Nguyen is attracting warehouse projects and logistics centers associated with traceability, effectively serving both domestic and foreign markets.

With methodical steps in the 2021-2025 period, Thai Nguyen has gradually affirmed its role as a regional linkage center and the green development nucleus of the Northern midland and mountainous region. Each agricultural product bearing the mark of Thai Nguyen is not simply a commodity, but a crystallization of knowledge, technology and identity, ready to reach far with its internal innovation.

Agricultural value chain associated with modern logistics - traceability - protection in Thai Nguyen includes:

• 51 growing area codes, of which 33 codes meet export standards.
• 150 livestock facilities meet VietGAP standards, 42 facilities are disease-free.
• 24 specialty products are protected by intellectual property rights.
• The tea brand is protected in 6 countries and territories: USA, China, Taiwan (China), Russia, Japan, and Korea.
• 2,265.92 hectares of forest are FSC certified.
• Yen Binh bonded warehouse capacity 100,000 tons/year.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202508/bo-ba-dot-pha-cho-nong-san-thai-nguyen-c05163a/