Noong Het is a commune located in the basin of Dien Bien district, possessing many advantages for developing high-quality rice production. However, before 2020, the people of Noong Het commune maintained a household-scale production method. Rice products were sold to milling businesses in the area. Therefore, quality and value were not improved, and the Dien Bien rice brand was not elevated.
Since 2020, the People's Committee of Noong Het commune has focused on attracting investment and encouraging cooperatives to link with local people to form concentrated production areas. These cooperatives invest in processing and preservation technologies and are responsible for marketing products to markets outside the province, increasing their value and gradually building product brands. To date, two production linkages and two concentrated high-quality rice production areas have been established in Noong Het commune; the area of these production zones has continuously increased over the years.
In 2020, Tam Thien Cooperative began establishing a high-quality rice production linkage in Noong Het commune. Starting with an initial area of 5 hectares, after 3 years of implementation, the cooperative has expanded to over 50 hectares.
Ms. Tran Thi Huong Que, Director of Tam Thien Cooperative, said: "The linked area only produces one rice variety, Seng Cu. The cooperative links production with households that have adjacent rice fields, creating a concentrated production area to facilitate the application of mechanization, care, and harvesting. After 3 years of implementation, in 2022, Tam Thien rice was recognized as meeting OCOP standards with a 3-star rating. OCOP product certification acts as a 'passport' to enhance product value and expand the consumer market."
Dien Bien Dong district is famous for its glutinous rice. Although it has a certain market position, its distribution is very limited. The main reason is the small, fragmented production area, which cannot meet market demand. Therefore, in recent years, Dien Bien Dong district has made efforts to expand the area under cultivation towards concentrated production.
Luân Giói commune has flat rice paddies and a well-developed and fairly synchronized irrigation system, making it the commune chosen by Điện Biên Đông district to develop a glutinous rice production linkage area. Previously, glutinous rice in Luân Giói was only produced by farmers on small plots of about 500-1,000 m2 per household, only enough to meet family needs. In 2022-2023, Anh Thơ Cooperative (Luân Giói commune) implemented a glutinous rice production linkage model on a scale of 50 hectares. After two years of implementation, the raw material area is stable, the product achieves high yield and quality, and has been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product by the Điện Biên Đông District OCOP Product Evaluation and Ranking Council.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tho, Director of Anh Tho Luan Gioi Cooperative, said: "The current raw material area for glutinous rice is still too small compared to market demand. In the coming years, the Cooperative will continue to encourage people to participate in the glutinous rice production linkage model. This will create a larger raw material area to meet customer needs. In addition, to enhance product value, the Cooperative will continue to invest in technology for processing, preservation, and packaging to produce high-quality rice grains, gradually restoring the Dien Bien Dong glutinous rice brand in the local and provincial markets."
Currently, localities are focusing on exploiting their potential and advantages in rice production, building linkages, and expanding specialized rice production areas. However, for these production linkages to operate sustainably, timely and appropriate support policies and mechanisms are needed.
For the two rice products, Tam Thien rice and Luan Gioi glutinous rice, authorities at all levels, from commune to district, always prioritize supporting the entities involved in production, promotion, and trade facilitation, especially in developing products that meet OCOP standards.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Hue, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Dien Bien Dong District, said: Dien Bien Dong District always prioritizes integrating policies and common funding sources to develop the glutinous rice production area in Luan Gioi. The District People's Committee directs specialized departments to provide maximum support to the participating entities to successfully build products that meet OCOP standards. This is a prerequisite for the product to reach markets outside the province. The District People's Committee also coordinates with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Industry and Trade to introduce and promote Luan Gioi glutinous rice at trade promotion conferences nationwide.
Similarly, Dien Bien district has been prioritizing resources and policies to develop specialized high-quality rice production areas in the Muong Thanh basin. Currently, all communes in the Muong Thanh basin have established at least one high-quality rice production linkage.
Mr. Chu Van Bach, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Dien Bien District, said: Businesses need to actively cooperate with farmers, expand production scale according to the new cooperative model, and build standardized rice production areas. Through this, develop an effective and sustainable rice production and consumption chain. The Dien Bien District People's Committee is actively attracting investment and inviting businesses to invest in rice production projects in the Muong Thanh rice fields. Besides leveraging internal resources, Dien Bien District continues to propose to the province the issuance of policies to support the development of high-quality rice production linkages in the area.
Over the years, Dien Bien province has implemented timely and appropriate policies to develop rice production areas along the value chain. Currently, the Provincial People's Council and People's Committee are studying and preparing to issue resolutions and decisions on new mechanisms and policies to support agricultural development associated with building new rural areas and restructuring the agricultural sector, with the important content being support for the sustainable development of rice production areas along the value chain.
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