Phu Giao District: Developing sustainable VietGAP products

Functional agencies supervise after achieving VietGAP certification at Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh's green-skin pomelo production facility, Tam Lap commune, Phu Giao district.

Promote product quality improvement

Up to now, in the field of cultivation in Phu Giao district, there are 713 households and establishments that have applied high technology. Of these, 353 households and establishments grow melons using greenhouse technology, drip irrigation, and environmental sensors, bringing high economic efficiency and superior product quality; 251 households and establishments grow green-skinned grapefruit, durian, oranges, tangerines, etc. applying VietGAP standards, ensuring safe products with traceable origins; 34 households and establishments grow safe vegetables, using hydroponic systems, temperature-controlled greenhouses, 11 households and establishments grow mushrooms of all kinds, etc., contributing to the diversification of high-tech agricultural products, meeting increasingly diverse market demands.

Regarding livestock farming, the whole district has 207 households and facilities applying modern technology, including 113 pig farms applying closed cages, treating waste with biogas, minimizing environmental pollution and creating renewable energy sources, 68 duck farms raising animals in a safe biological way, 25 chicken farms producing according to VietGAP standards, 1 dairy farm applying technology to monitor the health of cows. These households and facilities contribute to improving livestock farming efficiency, bringing a stable source of income to farmers.

Phu Giao district leaders said that in recent years, the district has always focused on promoting research and expanding agricultural growing areas towards high-tech and organic agriculture , promoting the strong application of VietGAP, GlobalGAP certifications, and traceability in growing areas to increase competitiveness and reputation in the market. As of May 2025, Phu Giao district has 136 VietGAP households and production facilities, including 103 households and cultivation facilities and 33 households and livestock facilities.

Strengthening market connectivity

Phu Giao district is actively implementing training, technical support, policies and communications to raise farmers' awareness of production according to VietGAP standards. However, the journey to develop safe agriculture does not stop at the certificate. After achieving the standard, it is important to preserve and promote the real value, ensuring the sustainability of VietGAP products. To achieve this, it is necessary to strengthen inspection and supervision of households and facilities producing VietGAP products, and accompany farmers in the post-certification stage of products meeting VietGAP standards.

Mr. Tran Van Cua, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Phu Giao district, said that the biggest problem at present is the lack of close connection between production and consumption, causing farmers to lack motivation to maintain products that meet VietGAP standards. Therefore, the district is coordinating with relevant agencies to strengthen business connections to form closed value chains. “VietGAP certification helps me do business systematically and produce safer products. However, maintaining the achieved results requires high costs, while the selling price of VietGAP products is still not much different from normal products. Without a stable output, households producing VietGAP products will face many difficulties,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh, a green-skin pomelo producer in Tam Lap commune.

The story of “maintaining VietGAP standards” in Phu Giao district reflects the common challenge of the whole province in maintaining and improving the quality of VietGAP products. Because besides the efforts to build the model, the biggest problem now is how to prevent products after achieving VietGAP certification from falling into the situation of “clean products but still sold as normal products”.

Ms. Luu Dinh Le Thuy, Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said that in order for VietGAP products to truly become the foundation for sustainable agricultural production, drastic actions are needed in all three aspects: Expanding re-certification support policies to maintain continuity; strengthening market connections to bring VietGAP products into large, modern supply chains such as supermarkets, collective kitchens, and wholesale markets; and at the same time developing concentrated production areas with brands, associated with digital technology and traceability. In particular, post-VietGAP certification monitoring needs to be viewed as a post-inspection - re-training - re-connection cycle, helping professional agencies promptly grasp and remove practical difficulties at the grassroots level.

Phu Giao district currently has 136 households and production facilities granted VietGAP certificates, accounting for about 27.5% of the total number of households and production facilities meeting VietGAP standards in the whole province. The locality is actively calling for businesses to invest in high-tech agriculture, thereby creating a close chain of links between businesses - cooperatives - farmers. At the same time, the district also proposed to the province to continue to have policies to encourage businesses to participate in consuming VietGAP products, especially in public procurement programs and collective orders.

PROGRESS

Source: https://baobinhduong.vn/huyen-phu-giao-phat-trien-san-pham-vietgap-ben-vung-a347904.html