Those who export agricultural products.

Thanh Hoa province is known for its favorable climate, fertile land, and diverse agricultural products. Recognizing this, many businesses, organizations, and cooperatives in the province have focused on investing in agriculture and processing industries, gradually establishing the position of local agricultural products in both domestic and international markets. This is considered a positive sign for agricultural exports in recent years.

The chili products of Sao Mai Food Trading and Import-Export Joint Stock Company ( Thanh Hoa City) are stored in a cold storage facility before export.

Recognizing that chili peppers are easy to grow, easy to care for, and highly profitable , in 2018, Sao Mai Food Trading and Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Thanh Hoa City) began purchasing, producing, and supplying chili peppers to markets both within and outside the province. The company's chili products are typically supplied to supermarkets, food stores, and collective kitchens. Building on its success in the domestic market, the company has always aspired to conquer the international market. After a long period of research and development, in 2021, the company expanded into exporting chili pepper products. From its first export order to South Korea, the company has now reached markets in countries and territories such as China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, the company director, said: "Initially, when we decided to seek opportunities to export goods, I and the company's leadership team were very worried because the export requirements in foreign markets were very high, and our ability to connect and find markets was limited. However, with determination and the support and connections of specialized units and the provincial agricultural sector, the chili pepper orders have been successfully exported." Currently, the company's export orders are largely concentrated in the Chinese and Korean markets, supplying about 1,000 tons of products annually. The larger the order, the stricter the requirements. Each year, export markets issue new regulations setting national standards for food safety... Among these, a prerequisite is obtaining a code for the chili growing area and packaging facility for export, using only pesticides on the list of permitted pesticides in Vietnam, and strictly adhering to the quarantine period to ensure that pesticide residues do not exceed the regulations of the importing market. In addition, there are numerous other regulations regarding packaging, labeling, and product traceability. Therefore, any products that do not meet the standards are immediately discarded. In the future, the company will continue to increase the export volume of chili products and expand sales to the Mongolian market.

Aiming to be one of the leading enterprises in developing environmentally friendly products from bamboo, Vibabo Co., Ltd., located in Tan Thanh commune (Thuong Xuan district), has researched and produced bamboo straws and bamboo pens. Sharing about his connection with bamboo, Mr. Le Xuan Lam, the company's director, said: "In 2018, when my family went to the forest, my nephew was thirsty and asked for a straw. As a habit, I cut a section of bamboo to make a straw. That's when the idea of ​​making bamboo straws began to take shape." After six months of research and exploration, Mr. Lam and his younger brother immediately started implementing the project. Thanks to understanding the current market sentiment of limiting plastic products and favoring products of natural origin, the company's products have gained the trust of the domestic market, including both individual customers and large wholesale businesses.

With that success, Mr. Lam continued to promote his hometown's unique products to international friends. Since April 2023, the company has exported its first order of bamboo straws to the South Korean market, totaling 3.5 million bamboo straws and 3,000 bamboo pens. This is considered a promising sign for a new business entering the export market. According to the plan for 2024, Vibabo Co., Ltd. will continue to supply goods to domestic businesses and expand its export market to countries such as China and Japan.

To date, approximately 43 businesses in Thanh Hoa province have been involved in exporting agricultural products to 30 countries and territories. Of these, China accounts for about 52% of export value, Taiwan 10%, South Korea 6.5%, and the EU 10%. Generally, the quality of products and packaging designs from these businesses and units are increasingly improving and becoming more suitable for importing countries.

Currently, businesses are striving to find, expand, and diversify markets, especially those in countries participating in free trade agreements. At the same time, they are proactively participating in global commodity value chains to increase production and export capacity for Thanh Hoa's agricultural products.

Text and photos: Chi Pham

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nhung-nguoi-dua-nong-san-xuat-ngoai-218159.htm