Elevating the quality of Thanh Hoa rice

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - Thanh Hoa province has a large area of ​​rice production and has developed high-yield, high-quality intensive rice farming zones. Through large-scale production, agricultural cooperatives in the province have developed many rice products that meet OCOP standards, increasing value and affirming the brand of Thanh Hoa rice.

The Ngũ Phúc rice product of Thiệu Phúc Agricultural Service Cooperative, Thiệu Hóa commune, has received OCOP 3-star certification.

Along with developing high-quality, concentrated rice production areas and linking with businesses to guarantee product sales, the Thieu Vien Agricultural Service Cooperative in Thieu Trung commune successfully developed Van Dai rice, achieving OCOP 3-star certification in 2023. Currently, with 50 hectares of concentrated rice production, the cooperative supplies approximately 250 tons of rice annually to markets within and outside the province. Thanks to adherence to safe production processes and standards, OCOP-certified rice fetches a higher price than conventionally produced rice. Le Ba Dung, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the Thieu Vien Agricultural Service Cooperative, stated: "Compared to conventional rice production, commercial rice produced according to the OCOP process is sold at a higher price. Therefore, the average profit is 24 to 32 million VND/hectare higher than traditionally produced rice."

According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Thanh Hoa province cultivates an average of about 220,000 hectares of rice per year, with over 150,000 hectares dedicated to high-yield, high-quality intensive rice cultivation. The total rice production in the province reaches approximately 1.4 million tons per year. In recent years, as market demand has shifted towards quality, cooperatives in the province have proactively embraced this trend to guide and encourage farmers and cooperative members to invest in organic and VietGAP-certified rice production, reducing emissions. According to Truong Van Tuan, Director of Thieu Phuc Agricultural Service Cooperative in Thieu Hoa commune: “The current market prioritizes high-quality rice products, produced according to standard and environmentally friendly processes. Therefore, we are guiding farmers to produce rice according to VietGAP standards and the OCOP program to enhance product value. The cooperative has established a production area for the Ngoc 9 rice variety with an area of ​​30 hectares per season to build an OCOP brand. In 2023, the cooperative had its Ngu Phuc rice product achieve OCOP 3-star rating, widely consumed in the market with a production volume of about 100 tons of rice per year.”

It is known that when the Thieu Phuc Agricultural Service Cooperative successfully developed the OCOP (One Commune One Product) Ngu Phuc rice product, the economic value per hectare of production increased. At the same time, it fostered a new production mindset and strengthened the application of safe agricultural production processes among the local people. Currently, the majority of rice production from the safe production area in the locality, including OCOP-certified rice, is being purchased by several businesses such as Tam Phu Hung Co., Ltd. and Dung Thuan Food Co., Ltd.

According to statistics, Thanh Hoa province currently has 19 rice products that meet OCOP standards, such as Cay Noi glutinous rice, Tien Son Ha Linh glutinous rice, Gia Mieu Ngoai Trang glutinous rice, Tien Son No. 3 rice, Van Dai rice, Hoa Minh rice, Ngoc Trai rice, Ngu Phuc rice, etc., most of which are rice products from agricultural cooperatives. The development of OCOP products from high-quality rice, linking production with processing and consumption, has created conditions to increase the value of rice for farmers. Ms. Do Thi Hoa, Director of Xuan Minh Agricultural and Rural Development Cooperative, said: “After successfully developing Hoa Minh rice to achieve OCOP 3-star standard, consumption has become easier. The product is integrated into the consumption chain of collective kitchens in the area with high and stable prices. This has created trust and enthusiasm among cooperative members.”

Currently, agricultural production in general, and rice production in particular, in the province is gradually shifting from "quantity" to "quality". Indicators for high-quality rice and rice production processes are increasingly being standardized by localities, cooperatives, and farmers according to VietGAP standards, and processed rice products are produced ensuring food safety and hygiene.

According to Le Hong Hai, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Cooperative Union: "To contribute to enhancing the value and brand of rice products, the Provincial Cooperative Union has encouraged cooperatives to increase the use of high-quality rice varieties and organize production according to the 'large field' model linked with processing and consumption, promoting the application of high-tech and mechanized production processes... to improve rice productivity and quality. At the same time, we are investing in building packaging, labels, and traceability codes for rice products to build trust with consumers, thereby affirming the reputation and quality of Thanh Hoa rice products."

Text and photos: Le Thanh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nang-tam-hat-gao-xu-thanh-259646.htm