VietGAP production - small model in big trend

Good agricultural practices (VietGAP) are an inevitable direction to improve the quality of agricultural products, expand the consumption market and help consumers use clean and safe products. However, in Thai Binh, the area of ​​crop production applying VietGAP process is still quite modest.

Rice production area according to VietGAP standards in Dong Tan commune (Dong Hung).

Increase value thanks to VietGAP

The family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ngo, An Loc village, Trung An commune (Vu Thu) has 3 sao specializing in growing lettuce, salad, mustard greens, herbs, etc. For the past 2 years, Mrs. Ngo, like many households in the village, has switched from traditional farming to applying VietGAP processes to improve product quality and value.

Ms. Ngo said: Produced according to VietGAP standards, the entire process of caring for plants, from the seedling stage, planting, fertilizing, using biological pesticides to harvesting, is all recorded in my family's diary. In particular, I switched to using biofertilizers to completely replace manure, which is clean, does not pollute the environment, and saves labor; the vegetables are beautiful and strong.

Trung An commune currently has more than 40 hectares of specialized vegetable cultivation. On the same area, people rotate short-term vegetables to supply the market all year round. In addition to traditional farming methods, Trung An commune has built a production area according to VietGAP standards with an area of ​​10 hectares, thereby building the OCOP brand for 7 types of vegetables.

Mr. Vu Van Thuan, Deputy Director of Trung An Green Agriculture Cooperative, said: Although the process of farming according to VietGAP standards is more complicated than traditional production, it creates safe products, from which the Cooperative builds its brand. Vegetables have labels and traceability, so their value is higher than mass-produced vegetables.

Trung An Commune (Vu Thu) builds a vegetable production area according to VietGAP standards with an area of ​​10 hectares.

In the 2023 crop season, Dong Tan Commune Agricultural Service Production and Trading Cooperative (Dong Hung) built a rice production area according to VietGAP standards with an area of ​​5 hectares. In the 2024 spring crop season, it will be expanded to 10 hectares and is expected to increase to 20 hectares in the 2024 crop season. Thanks to building this model, members of the cooperative have changed their production methods from traditional to safe and environmentally friendly. In addition, the cooperative has signed a contract to purchase products at a price 10-15% higher than mass production.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Luan, a farmer in Dong Tan commune, said: To grow rice according to VietGAP standards, we must strictly follow the procedures from using seeds, planting season, care, pest control, including using 50% microbial fertilizers and using pesticides in the permitted list. The rice yield is stable with a selling price higher than the market price, so the income is 400,000 - 500,000 VND/sao higher.

Mr. Lai Khac An, Director of Dong Tan Commune Agricultural Service Production and Trading Cooperative, said: In order to achieve the goal of developing agricultural production in the direction of ensuring safety, organic agriculture, and VietGAP, the cooperative planned the Tay Thuong Liet village field to be an area with a natural water source that is favorable for implementing the VietGAP farming process, and to plant two rice varieties: Dai Thom 8 and ST25. Through two seasons of implementing the VietGAP process, farmers have learned how to manage their fields: keeping a diary, and safe production. Before participating in the model, people did not know how to use the right type of fertilizer and pesticides at the right time. After participating in the model, people knew when and how much to apply fertilizer; what pesticides to use, at what time, and how long to quarantine. The quality of rice has also improved since then. The cooperative builds the brand of Giang village rice as a 3-star OCOP product, each crop consumes from 100 - 200 tons of rice for members.

The scale is too small

The establishment of VietGAP production areas not only increases the value of agricultural products, facilitates consumption, but also involves the responsibility of organizations and individuals in production to ensure food safety and traceability. In fact, applying the VietGAP process is a favorable condition to improve production criteria and easily convert to organic production... However, compared to the existing potential, the development of crop areas according to VietGAP standards still accounts for a low proportion compared to the total crop area of ​​the province. By the end of May 2024, the whole province had only 30 crop areas certified by VietGAP with an area of ​​168.15 hectares. Of which, VietGAP certification on rice reached 131.91 hectares, vegetables 29.7 hectares, fruit trees 1.5 hectares, medicinal plants 5.04 hectares. These areas are mainly located in communes that have been striving to achieve advanced new rural commune (NTM) standards because in the set of criteria for advanced NTM communes for the period 2021 - 2025, criterion No. 13 on production organization and rural economic development stipulates that communes that meet advanced NTM standards must build raw material areas certified by VietGAP (or equivalent) for key products.

Mr. Tran Quoc Duong, Deputy Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, said: VietGAP certification for crops includes requirements for production and preliminary processing of products. The inspection and assessment process for granting seasonal certification from land preparation, planting, care to harvesting takes from 4 to 6 months. Therefore, localities that do not implement timely with production progress will face difficulties in the assessment process of certification units. In addition, the certification fee is high compared to the value of crop production while the certification is only valid for 3 years, so many localities have difficulties in certification fees.

Mr. Lai Khac An, Director of Dong Tan Commune Agricultural Service Production and Trading Cooperative, said: When choosing a location to build a VietGAP production area, in addition to the geographical location factor, the cooperative chose an area where farmers gathered and concentrated to reduce the number of participating households, creating convenience in the process of directing and operating. A production area consisting of many households will make it very difficult to implement a synchronous technical process.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Head of the Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Product Quality Management, said: In the coming time, the agricultural sector will review and plan VietGAP production areas to ensure scale, concentration and grant food safety certificates to production and processing facilities applying VietGAP standards. Strengthen information and propaganda activities to change the awareness of producers and consumers about VietGAP products, especially to distinguish between products that ensure quality and food safety and mass-produced, traditional products; support brand building, promotion, building links, production, consumption, etc.

In 2023, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 08/2023/NQ-HDND stipulating the mechanism and policies to support land accumulation and concentration to develop the agricultural economy of Thai Binh province until 2028, including support for organizations, households and individuals participating in land accumulation and concentration that ensure the conditions according to regulations to be supported 100% of the costs of building brands, trademarks, origin of goods, traceability of agricultural products, digitalization of fields, certification of product quality VietGAP, GlobalGAP, organic... up to 50 million VND/product/concentrated production area.

In order for VietGAP to not only stop at models but become an inevitable and sustainable direction of clean agriculture, in addition to motivational mechanisms and policies, local authorities need to pay attention and proactively research and propose appropriate solutions to encourage production; cooperatives and people themselves also need to change their thinking, update their knowledge and agricultural production level according to new standards to adapt to consumer demand and this inevitable direction.

VietGAP is a set of regulations on good agricultural practices issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for each product and group of products for cultivation, livestock and aquaculture. This standard includes regulations on agricultural production, specifically the order, principles and procedures to guide individuals and organizations in production, harvesting and preliminary processing to ensure safety, improve product quality, health of people and producers, protect the environment and trace the origin of products.

Ngan Huyen

Source: https://baothaibinh.com.vn/tin-tuc/4/202448/san-xuat-vietgap-mo-hinh-nho-trong-xu-huong-lon