Enhancing the brand of highland agricultural products

In the past, when coming to the highlands of Vo Nhai, looking to buy local products, many people often thought of La Hien custard apples, Binh Long beans, Trang Xa grapefruits, etc. Currently, the district has many more products processed from local agricultural products, meeting OCOP standards and being welcomed and loved by the market. Among them is the famous Tien Phong rice noodle product.

According to local people, since around 1970, dozens of households in Tien Phong village (now Tien Phong residential group, Dinh Ca town) have had the traditional profession of making rice noodles. Tien Phong rice noodles are considered the best in the market with soft noodles that do not fall apart after cooking and have a distinctive aroma. The profession of making rice noodles has been passed down through many generations, but has gradually faded over the past 10 years. And now, in Tien Phong, only Ms. Thach Thi Huong's family is still attached to the profession.

According to our research, the production process of Tien Phong rice noodles is similar to many other places. But to create a unique product, Ms. Huong always follows her own secret.

To have dry noodles, it must go through many stages, including: Washing rice, soaking rice, grinding flour, soaking flour, pressing flour, beating flour... In which, soaking flour plays a decisive role. If soaked for too long, the flour will sour; if soaked for too short a time, the noodles will not be chewy and flexible... This requires the experience and "sensitivity" of the traditional craftsman. During the soaking process, the water must be changed 3 times a day so that the flour does not sour. After that, the flour is spread into cakes, dried in the sun, and then cut into noodles. Finally, it is dried in the sun again to produce the finished Tien Phong specialty rice noodles.

With traditional techniques, Ms. Huong's family has launched Tien Phong dry noodles to the market, ensuring food safety, no additives, no preservatives, and especially ensuring the inherent quality of traditional rice noodles. The products are also packaged in beautiful packaging, complete with QR codes for traceability.

In 2020, with local support, Tien Phong Rice Noodle Cooperative was established, with Ms. Thach Thi Huong as Director. Immediately after starting operations, the Cooperative invested in a factory with a modern machinery system, such as: large capacity grinders, noodle coating machines, noodle cutting machines, packaging machines...

With traditional secrets combined with modern machinery, the cooperative has launched Tien Phong dry noodle products to the market, ensuring food safety and maintaining the inherent quality of traditional rice noodles. In 2021, Tien Phong rice noodles were recognized by the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province as a 3-star OCOP product; many times selected as a typical agricultural product of the province and district.

Currently, the cooperative uses more than 4 tons of rice per month to produce rice noodles and pho noodles. The cooperative has also researched and launched a new product, brown rice noodles, to meet the increasing demand of consumers. Each month, the cooperative produces 3 tons of rice noodles and about 1 ton of pho noodles, achieving a revenue of over 100 million VND; creating jobs for 5 workers, with an average income of 3.5-5 million VND/person/month.

With a solid foundation of products and brands, Tien Phong Rice Noodle Cooperative is continuing to invest in building a modern noodle drying system using heat pump dehumidification technology. When put into operation, this drying oven can help the Cooperative increase its capacity 2-3 times compared to the current one, thereby better meeting consumer demand. At the same time, it expands its promotion and sales channels on e-commerce platforms.