Viet Hung Cooperative 'paves the way' for mountainous products to reach far

From small guava gardens in Hoanh Bo, Viet Hung Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Cooperative has pioneered in building a sustainable consumption chain for guava trees in the highlands.

"The core" of the value chain

More than a decade ago, people in Son Duong commune (Ha Long city, Quang Ninh province), now Hoanh Bo ward, started growing guava on the red soil hillsides that were only used to acacia and mixed trees. Initially, Hoanh Bo guava was only considered an experimental tree. But then, thanks to suitable soil and fresh climate, guava has a sweet taste, dense flesh, natural aroma, very different from guava in the plains.

From a few scattered households, guava trees have now taken root firmly in the mountainous land of Hoanh Bo, becoming the main crop of the locality. Each hectare of guava brings in hundreds of millions of dong in revenue each year, helping many households escape poverty and become rich.

Guava is the main product of people in Hoanh Bo ward (Quang Ninh) (Photo: My Dung)

“Hoanh Bo guava is now not only a fruit tree but also an ' economic tree', associated with the livelihood and pride of the people in the highlands,” said a local agricultural official.

Faced with the reality of small-scale, fragmented production and difficult consumption, in 2021, the Viet Hung Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery Cooperative was established, bringing together more than 60 households to grow guava on an area of ​​about 15 hectares. The Cooperative has a clear orientation: clean production, meeting VietGAP standards, and at the same time building the "Hoanh Bo Guava" brand.

Talking to reporters of Cong Thuong Newspaper, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Ha - Director of Viet Hung Cooperative shared that the most important thing is to change the production mindset of the people. "Previously, people grew according to habit, when the harvest was good, the price dropped. Now, the Cooperative provides technical guidance, organizes mass harvesting, applies biological products, records farming diaries... Everything has a clear process," Ms. Ha said.

Since then, Viet Hung Cooperative has formed a closed value chain: planting - harvesting - processing - consumption. In addition to fresh guava, the Cooperative also processes guava wine, guava juice and plans to develop dried products and guava jam to increase added value. Each product is affixed with a traceability stamp, a growing area code, and a QR code for consumers to easily check.

Thanks to the methodical approach, the cooperative's products have achieved 3-4 star OCOP certification from Quang Ninh province and have been selected many times to display at trade fairs inside and outside the province.

The introduction of VietGAP process into production has created a major turning point. The price of guava sold in the garden is about 25,000 VND/kg, twice as high as before. Each hectare of guava can generate an income of 700-800 million VND/year, becoming a stable source of income for dozens of households in the Son Duong mountainous area.

Hoanh Bo guava is currently one of the typical products of Hoanh Bo ward.

Hoanh Bo guava is currently one of the typical products of Hoanh Bo ward. In addition to creating regular jobs for local workers, the model also encourages women and the elderly to participate in planting, harvesting and processing, helping to increase income and reduce the rate of poor households.

Not only stopping at fresh fruit, Viet Hung Cooperative has boldly invested in a processing factory, packaging line, professional packaging and labeling. The product "Hoanh Bo Guava Wine" was born, favored by tourists, contributing to raising the value of guava trees from raw agricultural products to tourist gift products.

Changes in the highlands

In recent years, the Son Duong mountainous area no longer has farmers struggling to sell their agricultural products. Every harvest season, traders, agents and tourists come to the gardens. Many farming households have boldly borrowed capital to expand their acreage, invest in drip irrigation systems, cover with weed-proof tarps and improve the soil.

“Thanks to the cooperative taking over the purchase, we can confidently produce without fear of being forced to lower prices. Guava trees are now the source of livelihood for the whole family,” a household in the cooperative shared.

Not only does it generate income, the model also changes people’s production mindset – from “selling what you have” to “making what the market needs”. People are trained in techniques, learn how to preserve, and understand the value of standards and brands. This change helps them confidently participate in fairs, connect with businesses, and expand their consumer markets.

Currently, Viet Hung Cooperative is coordinating with specialized agencies to upgrade OCOP products to 5 stars, and at the same time complete export documents to the East Asian market. Granting growing area codes and electronic traceability are considered important keys for Hoanh Bo guava to qualify to participate in the global supply chain.

According to the cooperative leader, in order to export, in addition to quality standards, products must also have a strong brand, modern packaging and a methodical promotion strategy. Therefore, the cooperative is promoting communication, opening online booths, connecting with e-commerce platforms to introduce products to domestic and foreign consumers.

In parallel, the Cooperative develops agricultural tourism, opens the experience service of “a day as a farmer picking guava”, welcoming tourists to visit the garden, pick and enjoy on the spot. This is a direction expected to help increase the value of guava trees, link agriculture with ecotourism services, contributing to diversifying income sources for people.

Hoanh Bo guava has initially affirmed its position in the market and in the hearts of consumers.

Hoanh Bo guava has initially affirmed its position in the market and in the hearts of consumers. However, for sustainable development, it requires the cooperation of the government, businesses and people. Viet Hung Cooperative hopes to receive more support in terms of capital, science and technology and trade promotion to complete the value chain from production, processing to consumption.

According to economic experts, the Viet Hung Cooperative model is a clear demonstration of Quang Ninh’s right direction in developing specialty agriculture associated with the OCOP program. When local agricultural products are produced systematically, associated with brands and tourism, the added value will be many times greater, at the same time opening up sustainable livelihoods for people in the mountains.

From the first guava trees planted more than ten years ago, Hoanh Bo land has now become a symbol of change in Quang Ninh mountainous agriculture. Each guava is not only an agricultural product but also the crystallization of the aspiration to rise up, of the spirit of new economic development, of knowing how to connect, know how to create a brand, know how to go far.

Viet Hung Cooperative is continuing its journey to help "Hoanh Bo guava" increasingly affirm its value on the mountainous land with many difficulties in Quang Ninh.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/hop-tac-xa-viet-hung-mo-duong-cho-san-pham-mien-nui-vuon-xa-429027.html