Faced with increasingly strict requirements from the export market, Gia Lai is shifting from developing output to standardizing quality through granting planting area codes and packaging facilities, according to VNA on April 17.
According to the Gia Lai Provincial Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, the whole province currently has 348 planting area codes with an area of more than 11,100ha; of which 293 codes serve export, accounting for over 10,650ha. The growing areas focus on key crops such as bananas, durians, passion fruit, sweet potatoes, jackfruit, watermelon, mango, dragon fruit.
Along with that, 40 packaging facility codes have been issued, with a capacity of about 1,650 - 1,800 tons of fresh fruit per day. The province is completing dossiers to request the issuance of 134 more planting area codes with an area of more than 2,700ha, continuing to expand the standard raw material area.
Mr. Tran Xuan Khai - Head of the Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Gia Lai province - said that standardizing planting areas and packaging facilities is a mandatory requirement, and at the same time helps reorganize production in a transparent and modern direction. Specialized sectors strengthen training, technical guidance and periodic inspections to ensure that codes are maintained in accordance with regulations.
In Chu Pah commune, Mr. Le Van Thanh is one of the pioneering households in building durian growing area codes. With 5ha that have been granted codes, products are eligible for official export to the Chinese market. He said that the entire area must comply with safe production procedures, from using materials to recording farming logs. "Initially, it was quite hard, but when exports are stable and selling prices are better, people are very reassured," he said.
At the cooperative level, Hung Thom Gia Lai agricultural and service cooperative (Hra commune) has been granted 7 passion fruit growing area codes with an area of more than 126ha, produced according to GlobalGAP standards, achieving yield of 45-50 tons/ha. Thanks to that, products have expanded to Europe and China, stable output, and improved prices. However, maintaining the code requires close monitoring of the process, avoiding affecting the entire region.
On the business side, Hung Son High-Tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company (Ia Bang commune) has built 7 planting area codes on an area of more than 400ha and 3 packaging facility codes to serve banana exports. Each year, the output reaches 20,000 - 25,000 tons, revenue is about 12 - 15 million USD. When meeting the origin traceability requirement, the value of products increases from 20 - 30%.
According to the agricultural sector, the standardization of growing areas and packaging facilities contributes to forming a closed production chain, reducing export risks and enhancing the reputation of Gia Lai agricultural products. In the coming time, the province will continue to expand the area meeting standards, strengthen inspection and supervision to maintain quality.
The shift from "many production" to "standard production" is opening up a sustainable direction, helping Gia Lai agricultural products maintain market stability and penetrate deeper into demanding markets.
