Building growing area codes: Passports for agricultural exports

QTO - Growing area codes (MSVT) are issued to agricultural production areas to ensure traceability, control product quality, comply with import market requirements and build a reputable brand. In recent times, the province has focused on issuing MSVT to the province's key crops with the aim of effectively controlling the process from production to traceability in the market and increasing the value of agricultural products.

Identify agricultural growing areas

MSVT is an important identification code assigned to a specific growing area, allowing monitoring and control of production status, agricultural product quality and traceability. This code contains a complete information system on geographical location, crop type, cultivation process and production history, helping authorities and consumers to clearly identify the origin and production conditions of agricultural products, ensuring strict compliance with market requirements.

Up to now, the province has had 69 growing areas granted MSVT with a total area of ​​over 3,300 hectares. Key crops include: Rice with 35 MSVT (including 33 domestic MSVT with an area of ​​over 510 hectares, 2 export MSVT with an area of ​​over 37 hectares); bananas with 10 export MSVT with an area of ​​over 2,300 hectares, 1 domestic MSVT combined with jackfruit and macadamia with an area of ​​532 hectares; pepper has 4 domestic MSVT with an area of ​​75 hectares. Other crops such as watermelon, dragon fruit, green beans, an xoa, lotus, lemongrass, medicinal plants, oranges, grapefruits... are also granted from 1-3 MSVT. In addition, there are 2 export packaging facilities (CSĐG) that have been granted codes by China, serving the packaging of banana products in the southwestern region of the province. This is proof that Quang Tri 's production chain has reached international standards.

Pepper has 4 domestic growing area codes with an area of ​​75 hectares - Photo: TH

Deputy Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection Ho Khac Minh said: Practice in Quang Tri shows that MSVT is not just an administrative procedure, but an important solution to improve and position agricultural products. The process of building and maintaining MSVT forces farmers to radically change their production mindset, shifting from traditional farming habits to strictly following technical processes, valuing transparency and ensuring food safety. This is the first step for Quang Tri agricultural products to be able to compete fairly in the international market.

"Opening the door" for agricultural products to the world

The issuance of MSVT is a key strategy to bring the province's agricultural products to the international market in a sustainable way. The southern border area of ​​the province currently has about 3,050 hectares of bananas, of which nearly 2,920 hectares have been harvested. Most of the banana growing area in this area has been organized and managed with MSVTs for export to the Chinese market according to safe production standards.

In particular, the key areas granted MSVT are Co Thanh banana growing area with nearly 570ha, Xi Nuc 137ha, Xy 480ha, Thuan 190ha, Tan Thuan 150ha, A Rong-Ky Noi 37ha, Ka Tang 25ha... The code assignment and commitment to safe production have created a transparent supply chain, solving the problem of traceability, contributing to helping Quang Tri banana products conquer the Chinese and Thai markets.

Some other agricultural products such as rice, pepper, and medicinal products processed from growing areas with assigned codes are also actively using MSVT to seek opportunities in markets with high demands, such as: China, Thailand, Europe...

Bananas have 10 export growing area codes with an area of ​​over 2,300 hectares - Photo: TH

Director of Gio Linh Organic Agricultural Cooperative (HTX) Nguyen Giang shared: In 2018, Gio Linh Organic Agricultural Cooperative was granted MSVT to serve export to the European market for 25 hectares of rice produced according to Vietnamese organic standards in Phuoc Thi rice growing area. MSVT's efforts to strictly comply with the process have brought specific results in export. In 2023, the Cooperative successfully carried out 2 export trips to the markets of Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic with a total output of 15 tons. In 2024, the Cooperative exported 3 tons of organic rice to China to promote and expand its network of partners.

Although the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DARD) has increased propaganda, guidance and actively supported production facilities in developing growing areas, the process of implementing MSVT development still faces many "bottlenecks" that need to be removed.

Growing area codes bring many practical benefits to farmers, helping producers manage areas, standardize care processes, support disease warnings, plan detailed care and estimate accurate yields.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hong Phuong said: Agricultural production in the province is still small and fragmented, and there are not many concentrated production areas as required by importing countries. Although MSVT has been granted, maintaining physical boundaries and uniform technical processes in large growing areas divided by many households requires a lot of monitoring resources.

In addition, the ability to apply technology and comply with procedures by farmers is still limited. Requiring farmers to keep electronic field diaries is still difficult, especially for older households. The resource problem and initial cost for building and maintaining management systems sometimes exceed the capacity of small-scale cooperatives and farmers.

In the coming time, to expand the growing areas granted with MSVT, the Department of Agriculture and Environment will continue to carry out propaganda and guidance for businesses, organizations and individuals on regulations on granting MSVT and CSĐG; coordinate and support localities in surveying and developing plans for growing areas and CSĐG development based on the reality, characteristics and needs of each locality.

Along with that, the industry will increase the application of information technology to manage the database on growing areas and CSĐG, ensuring effective data use and quick and transparent traceability; guide, receive and check and review procedures for MSVT and CSĐG registration dossiers according to regulations; at the same time, strengthen inspection and examination of the management and use of MSVT and CSĐG to ensure maintenance and compliance with plant quarantine and food safety regulations after being granted.

T.Hoa - N.Lan

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202510/xay-dung-ma-so-vung-trong-ve-thong-hanh-cho-nong-san-xuat-khau-2cf6462/