Organic agriculture - production direction to increase agricultural product value - Cao Bang Electronic Newspaper

As climate change becomes more and more complex, as natural resources are gradually depleted, consumers increasingly demand food safety and sustainable production, as a province with great potential in terms of land, climate and endemic crops, the transition to an organic model is a breakthrough solution, aiming to restructure crops to increase the value of agricultural products and improve sustainable livelihoods for people.

When the "locomotive" enterprise enters the game

Comrade Doan Thi Thuan, Acting Head of the Provincial Department of Crop Production, said: Organic agriculture first of all needs to ensure and enhance the health of the soil, of plants, animals, humans and the entire planet as an inseparable unity. The most important thing is the health of the ecosystem, if "healthy" soil creates healthy plants, to nurture the health of livestock and humans; it must go completely against the habit of intensive chemical farming. It must "avoid the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics and stimulants".

In the province, the Agricultural Development and Environmental Consulting Company Limited (DACE) is one of the first units to successfully create a connection in the field of organic crop development. Director of DACE Company Tran Van Hieu shared: From land preparation, seed selection, planting, care, harvesting to processing and preservation, all must comply with the process. The goal is to create high-quality products, increase value and increase income for farmers. By 2015, DACE had started to build specific raw material areas to grow ginger and chili peppers. DACE signed an investment contract to develop organic crops and purchase products for 460 hectares of ginger in the communes of Lung Nam and Tong Cot.

As a ginger grower since 2016, growing more than 1,000 ^m2 each year, Mr. Truong Van Lan, Nguom Vai village, Tong Cot commune said: Thanks to cultivating according to the correct technical process, each year I harvest about 15 tons of fresh ginger. With a purchase price of 12,000 - 15,000 VND/kg, my family earns nearly 200 million VND/crop. From this amount of money, my family has escaped poverty for 3 years. After 2 years of growing, organic ginger yields 50 - 80 tons/ha, with an average income of 300 million VND/ha/year, 150 - 200 million VND higher than growing corn and peanuts.

Organic ginger yield reaches 50 - 80 tons/ha, average income 300 million VND/ha/year, 150 - 200 million VND higher than corn and peanut growing.

Exploiting the strengths of local endemic crops, DACE invested in developing star anise in the communes of Minh Khai, Dong Khe, Thach An... Mr. Tran Van Hieu commented: "Cao Bang is a land with great potential for developing spices. We see star anise not only as an immediate economic value, but also as a sustainable export potential if produced according to international standards." As an enterprise that is not only a pioneer but also resolutely deploys synchronous solutions. By the end of 2022, after a rigorous inspection, sampling and evaluation process, 1,444 hectares of star anise land in Thach An district (old) were officially granted organic certification by the International Union according to Japanese, American and European standards.

Chairman of Duc Long Commune People's Committee Vu Duc Thien said: Since DACE Company joined forces, star anise has been purchased at a stable price of 30,000 - 33,000 VND/kg. Many households in the commune have an income of 100 - 200 million VND per year, and people's lives are quite good. According to Ms. Nong Thi Eng, Ban Pang hamlet, Duc Long commune: The ancient star anise trees from the 1950s are full of branches every year. Previously, the purchase price was unstable, but since DACE came into being, everything has changed.

The success of the organic star anise model in the communes of Minh Khai, Dong Khe, Thach An, with an output of 3,000 tons/year, bringing in revenue of more than 100 billion VND, is a testament to the superiority of the "State - Enterprise - Farmer" linkage model. Farmers no longer worry about output. Enterprises have stable raw material areas, the Company is confident with its plan to invest an additional 60 billion VND to build a processing factory and storage warehouse, aiming to purchase thousands of tons of fresh star anise/year, affirming the position of Cao Bang agricultural products in the global spice market.

If DACE Company proves the strength of the large-scale linkage model, Kolia Company Limited in Phja Den, Thanh Cong commune opens up a strategic direction for organic agricultural development in depth, exploiting high-end market "niches". With an altitude of over 1,200 m and a cool climate all year round, Phja Den is an ideal "micro-temperate zone". Taking advantage of this, Kolia Company has cooperated with 50 households to develop 30 hectares of high-quality organic tea such as: Kim Tuyen, Thanh Tam, O Long, Bat Tien... The unit not only produces according to organic standards, but also invests in a processing factory using Korean technology, applying strict international standards. Kolia's organic tea products have conquered the most demanding market in the world, Taiwan. The export of tea to Taiwan, a "kingdom" of Oolong tea, affirms the excellent quality of the product, showing that with the right investment and direction, farmers can compete at the highest level.

In Phia Den, Thanh Cong commune, Kolia Company Limited develops organic tea, invests in a processing factory using Korean technology, and applies international standards.

"Bottlenecks" that need to be removed

The chain of links in the development of crops: anise, ginger, tea, chili is the result of the cooperation of Party committees, local authorities and enterprises, increasing the area of ​​organically produced crops in the whole province to 1,113 hectares. But if looking at the overall picture, this progress still has many "bottlenecks". A typical example is organic vegetables. Although the total annual vegetable area of ​​the province is over 4,400 hectares, the actual organic vegetable area is only 1.5 hectares. This small number shows that the transition to organic production is extremely difficult.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Nong Thanh Man, the province's agricultural production is still mainly "household, small-scale, fragmented". Meanwhile, the number of organizations and businesses participating in investment is still too small. Organic production is only focused on crops, not yet developed in livestock and aquaculture. The cost of organic production is often much higher than traditional production, due to strict technical requirements, long cultivation time, and high risks from weather and disease. Meanwhile, support resources, certification costs are still limited and there are "bottlenecks" in the market.

To realize the Central Resolution's policies and guidelines of the province, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and raise awareness for both producers, businesses and consumers about the role and true value of organic products. Mobilize all resources, integrate programs and projects, increase capital mobilization from businesses and people. Apply high technology to organic agricultural production to increase productivity, quality and adapt to climate change. Train and improve the capacity of officials, businesses and cooperatives on product monitoring and certification processes. Innovate production organization, continue to build value chains, closely link production households with businesses.

Hanoi

Source: https://baocaobang.vn/nong-nghiep-huu-co-huong-san-xuat-nang-cao-gia-tri-nong-san-3182065.html