Nghe An: 913 hectares of crops have been granted growing area codes.

Increase value from changing production thinking

Mr. Ho Thai Hoan's family, in Quynh Bang commune (Quynh Luu), is one of the pioneering households applying the model of growing vegetables according to VietGAP standards, combined with growing area codes.

Vegetable fields of Minh Luong commune (Quynh Luu). Photo: Xuan Hoang

On an area of 1,500 m², vegetables, tubers and fruits are grown in rotation all year round, with production logs kept, pesticides used in the correct dosage and quarantine periods ensured. Thanks to strict adherence to technical processes, vegetable yields are always high, clean products are purchased and consumed by the cooperative at safe vegetable locations.

Not only Mr. Hoan's household, Quynh Bang commune currently has 50 households participating in the VietGAP vegetable, root and fruit production model on an area of over 25 hectares, all of which have been granted growing area codes. Accordingly, the annual output of vegetables, roots and fruits reaches 1,275 tons of vegetables of all kinds meeting VietGAP standards.

age 3 — Farmers in Quynh Bang commune (Quynh Luu) harvest green onions. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Ho Dang Tam - Director of Quynh Bang General Agricultural Cooperative said: "Thanks to the synchronous application of technical solutions and the granting of planting area codes, the products not only achieve high productivity but also sell at better prices compared to mass production. This is an important motivation for people to confidently stick with high-quality agricultural production."

If VietGAP is a solution to standardize cultivation techniques, the growing area code is the “identity card” for agricultural products to enter the modern market. When the area code is attached, the entire production process will be traced and transparent, from seeds, fertilizers, to pesticides and harvest time. This is especially important in tracing the origin when there is a problem with product quality, while at the same time, enhancing the responsibility of the producer.

Mechanization in agricultural production is the development direction of cooperatives today. Photo: Xuan Hoang — Yen Thanh district has more than 191 hectares of rice with growing area codes. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Along with Quynh Luu district, many other localities in Nghe An such as Yen Thanh, Nghia Dan, Anh Son... are also actively implementing the assignment of growing area codes for key crops. In Yen Thanh district, as of 2024, this locality has been granted 29 valid growing area codes, focusing on strong products such as: rice, oranges, pineapples, melons, wormwood, vegetables, of which rice is the key crop with 21 area codes, with a total area of over 191 hectares.

Mr. Cao Minh Tuan - the owner of a melon grower in Tang Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) excitedly shared: "Thanks to being granted a growing area code for 0.3 hectares of melons in a greenhouse, we can easily introduce our products to supermarket systems and clean food stores. Most importantly, consumers are increasingly interested in the origin of the products. Having a regional code helps us to make the production process more transparent and access the market more easily."

Similarly, Quynh Minh Agricultural and Salt Cooperative currently has 3,000 m² of greenhouses for growing melons, which have achieved VietGAP certification and 3-star OCOP products. However, according to Mr. Ho Dien Vy - representative of the Cooperative, in order to expand the market, the goal of the Cooperative is to be granted a growing area code, meeting more stringent standards from the distribution system in the market.

Towards sustainable development

Despite the positive results, the expansion of growing area codes still faces many obstacles. In fact, many farmers are not familiar with keeping production diaries, quality management in cooperatives is limited, agricultural output is unstable and not large enough to meet the requirements of modern distribution chains.

Melon growing model of Quynh Minh Agricultural - Salt Production Cooperative (Quynh Luu). Photo: Xuan Hoang — Many melon growing models have been granted growing area codes. Photo: Xuan Hoang

According to Mr. Ho Dang Tam - a major difficulty at present is that the output of the cooperative's products is still partly through small traders, and a stable chain of links with purchasing and processing enterprises has not yet been formed. Meanwhile, the prerequisite to target the "difficult" market is to have a clear raw material area, managed by a standard growing area code.

According to data from the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, from 2023 to present, the Department has advised on the issuance of 118 domestic growing area codes with a total area of more than 913 hectares for crops such as rice, oranges, tea, grapes, melons, sugarcane, etc. During the monitoring process, 6 area codes were revoked, 6 codes were suspended, of which 5 codes have been fixed for continued use. The revoked codes are due to organizations and individuals not having a need to use the codes in the near future.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, coding of growing areas not only serves the purpose of traceability but is also an effective tool to help the agricultural sector develop production plans, warn of diseases and ensure food safety. In particular, post-code monitoring will be tightened to ensure that area codes are maintained according to standards, avoiding coping or vacancy.

Along with that, promoting chain linkages between producers and processing and product consumption enterprises will also be an inevitable direction. Only when a sustainable value chain is formed, can Nghe An agricultural products establish a position in the market./.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/nghe-an-913-ha-cay-trong-da-duoc-cap-ma-so-vung-trong-10300142.html