Agricultural restructuring associated with rural economic development - Part 2: Greening agriculture - Essential for sustainable development

>> Lesson 1: Affirming the role of "supporting" the economy

Focus on core, branded products

Exploiting the potential and advantages of concentrated and specialized production areas, Yen Bai has paid special attention to developing key agricultural products with regional characteristics such as Suoi Giang Shan Tuyet tea, Van Yen cinnamon, Tu Le sticky rice, Mu Cang Chai hawthorn, Tram Tau upland taro, Bat Do Tran Yen bamboo shoots, FSC-certified Yen Binh plantation wood for export, etc., contributing to increasing export value and building the brand of local agricultural products. In addition, promoting the application of science and technology, developing production-consumption chains, along with support policies from local authorities, has contributed to improving production efficiency and competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

It can be said that the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) Program, which has been implemented with great effort and determination in recent years, has truly been an important lever, "breathing" a new vitality into the somewhat unclear agricultural economy of Yen Bai , contributing to a strong transformation of production towards increasing scale associated with value chains, increasing income for rural people, especially in remote areas and ethnic minorities.

Back to the story of the upland taro plant of Tram Tau district. From a hunger-fighting crop, Tram Tau upland taro has become a specialty agricultural product, upgraded to a 3-star OCOP product; granted a Certificate of Trademark Registration by the Department of Intellectual Property. This is a favorable condition for organizations and individuals to develop production and trade of upland taro products; link production, promote advertising, and bring Tram Tau upland taro products to major supermarkets and e-commerce platforms.

Ms. Dao Thi Thuy - Director of Hung Thuy General Business, Production and Service Cooperative, Tram Tau town said: "To increase product value and create stable income for people, the Cooperative links production, guides members and farmers to produce cleanly and safely to meet OCOP standards. At the same time, the Cooperative promotes trade, ensures packaging and labeling standards so that products can reach a wider market, and hopes to have more new products from Tram Tau upland taro".

By the end of 2024, Tram Tau district will have 10 products recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP standards. In 2025, the district will continue to develop 5 new OCOP tea products. The locality's goal is that 100% of OCOP products have been certified at 3 stars or higher and newly developed OCOP products in 2025 will be eligible to be posted on e-commerce platforms Voso.vn, Postmart.vn and reputable e-commerce platforms for promotion, introduction and sale of products... Yen Bai agriculture has many specialty and key products, affirming its advantages in the market, trusted and used by consumers. To date, the whole province has nearly 300 products meeting 3-star and 4-star OCOP standards, including nearly 30 4-star OCOP products.

Comrade Nguyen Tuan Anh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (first person, right) visited the tomato growing model in La Khat and Cang Dong villages, Nam Khat commune, Mu Cang Chai district.

Expanding ecological agriculture

The concept of "green agriculture" is no longer strange to Yen Bai farmers. In the safe vegetable fields according to VietGAP standards in Yen Bai city, the organic Shan Tuyet tea production area in Suoi Giang, Van Chan district and Phinh Ho, Tram Tau district; the fish cage farming area on Thac Ba lake, Yen Binh district; the cinnamon, tea, and Bat Do bamboo shoots specialized areas in Van Yen, Tran Yen, Van Chan districts..., people are gradually abandoning traditional farming methods, boldly applying new techniques in a circular direction to create closed production chains, not only helping to increase income but also effectively adapting to climate change.

Green agriculture has been and is an inevitable trend for sustainable development - something that farmers - producers and traders are most aware of. Realizing that the traditional cinnamon growing model mainly sells raw materials at low prices, Mr. Ly Hai - a farmer in Lang Moi village, Dai Son commune, Van Yen district decided to develop an organic cinnamon model according to VietGAP standards. Binh An Cooperative was established with him as the Director and quickly connected households with the same will to grow, produce and process organic cinnamon products.

Currently, Binh An Cooperative has over 40 members, associated with over 300 households in the commune with an area of ​​400 hectares. The Cooperative strictly adheres to production requirements to ensure cinnamon quality meets safety standards. Therefore, organic cinnamon products always have a selling price 20 - 30% higher than traditionally produced products and are available in many domestic supermarket systems and are being promoted for export to Europe.

Director of Binh An Cooperative Ly Hai shared: "The most important thing of the organic cinnamon model is to increase the value of the cinnamon brand in the international market. This means increasing the economic value of cinnamon trees - cinnamon growers - businesses.

In fact, only when the brand value of cinnamon is guaranteed, can we develop sustainable raw material areas as well as improve product quality. Or the VAC model combined with eco-tourism of Mr. Ngo Quang Ha in Ban Lung, Phong Du Thuong commune is an example - this is considered a typical green economic model of this locality.

Combining agriculture with tourism development on the basis of the available land area of ​​4 hectares, using the Internet as a bridge to connect local livestock and crop development models and promote tourism images on digital platforms. Mr. Ha also realizes that green development is currently a trend. Although the family's green agriculture model combined with tourism does not have high income, it has opened up a direction for sustainable development.

With this model, each year the family earns over 150 million VND and creates jobs for more than 10 local workers. In the mountainous commune of Nam Khat of Mu Cang Chai district, there have been effective green agricultural models such as the medicinal mushroom growing model of Mu Cang Chai Edible Mushroom and Medicinal Mushroom Production Company Limited in Hua Khat village.

This enterprise harvests and sells an average of over 250 tons of shiitake mushrooms each year, earning over 20 billion VND, creating regular jobs for nearly 50 local workers. The tomato growing model in the two villages of La Khat and Cang Dong is large-scale with an area of ​​over 9 hectares, creating jobs for over 60 workers. The tomato production process is carried out according to VietGAP standards, the products are mainly sold to other provincial markets, bringing economic value many times higher than traditional crops in the locality.

Up to now, Yen Bai has nearly 50 production models meeting VietGAP standards, organic agriculture, food hygiene and safety with an area of ​​over 1,000 hectares, mainly plants such as organic tea, cinnamon and large-scale field models, agricultural models combining cultivation with livestock farming according to VietGAP... Accordingly, standardized agricultural products ensuring export standards are also increasing day by day.

Currently, the whole province has over 23,000 hectares of forest certified by FSC, organic cinnamon; 77 codes for growing areas serving domestic consumption and export are granted codes, of which 40 codes for growing areas serving export apply production processes according to basic GAP, VietGAP, GlobalGAP, Organic standards, contributing to improving the quality value of agricultural products. Yen Bai has also identified 10 key agricultural and forestry products and 10 specialty agricultural and forestry products. The province's orientation is that when the scale of production areas as at present is large enough, instead of expanding production, the province prioritizes expanding the area of ​​organic production.

These advances from the agricultural sector show that Yen Bai is gradually realizing the development philosophy of "Green, harmony, identity and happiness" from the perspective of agricultural economic development associated with sustainable new rural construction.

Minh Thuy

(Last article: Rural economic development and sustainable new rural construction)

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/12/348773/Tai-co-cau-nong-nghiep-gan-voi-phat-trien-kinh-te-nong-thon--Bai-2-Xanh-hoa-nong-nghiep---Tat-yeu-de-phat-trien-ben-vung.aspx