Efforts to improve the quality of agricultural products
On October 25, 2024, nearly 8,000 first Soi Ha grapefruits in the Xuan Van grapefruit growing area, Yen Son district (Tuyen Quang) were officially exported to the UK market. The grapefruits have a Brix sweetness of 11.5 degrees or higher, no bitterness, peeling segments, juicy; even yellow color, few black spots, no freckles, no insect bites, weight from 1-1.2 kg/fruit with a price delivered to the garden of 16,000 VND/fruit.
Ms. Ly Thi Minh, Soi Ha village (Xuan Van commune) said that she has been involved in growing grapefruit for more than 20 years but it is quite unstable, in good harvest years the price drops. There are seasons when the fruit is sold in the garden for only a few thousand VND/fruit.
"This year, for the first time, Soi Ha grapefruit was exported to the international market, giving us new motivation to focus on producing specialty grapefruit varieties. Like this year, despite the impact of storms and floods, my family's grapefruit export garden brought in an income of more than 200 million VND," Ms. Minh happily said.
In fact, Soi Ha grapefruit is one of 7 OCOP products of Tuyen Quang province exported to the UK market in 2024. Previously, in early October 2024, Tuyen Quang province exported 6 other agricultural products to the UK market including guava tea, male papaya flowers soaked in honey, dried bananas, green-heart black bean tea bags, lemon syrup and kumquat syrup.
With the successful export of OCOP products in 2024, Tuyen Quang province has an important premise to plan the development of key products and specialties, gradually affirming the brand and value of agricultural products of this mountainous province in domestic and foreign markets.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Nguyen Dai Thanh - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tuyen Quang province - said that the 7 products that have just been exported to the European market are an affirmation of the quality and brand of agricultural products of Tuyen Quang province in the trend of developing high-quality agriculture.
"Although this is only the initial result of the export-oriented production of quality agricultural products to bring Tuyen Quang province's agricultural products to foreign markets, it has shown potential to increase the value of agricultural products. At the same time, it opens up a direction for sustainable agricultural production for farmers," said Mr. Thanh.
Opportunities for highland agriculture
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year of At Ty 2025, Mr. Ban Van Tien's family (Xin Man commune, Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang) is busy taking care of nearly 0.5 hectares of sugar beets for export to Japan. This is the third year he has joined a cooperative to grow according to standards. The association to grow and purchase beets for export to the Japanese market has been maintained, bringing in an income of 80 million to 120 million VND/ha/crop.
"Previously, growing cassava had low income, some years we couldn't even sell it, growing radish for export was very stable. We just planted and cared for it according to the instructed standards, the output was guaranteed by the cooperative, each year we earned nearly 100 million VND, thanks to that we were able to overcome poverty," said Mr. Tien.
In 2024, Xin Man - one of the most difficult mountainous districts of Ha Giang province - exported nearly 160 tons of agricultural products including 80 tons of pickled radish, 45 tons of pickled buffalo ginger and 34 tons of pickled shallots to the Japanese market.
Ms. Do Thi Huong - Secretary of Xin Man District Party Committee - said that through this linkage model, the locality can also reorganize production for people in the direction of safety, sustainable quality and linkage along the value chain from production to product consumption.
"Agricultural production in a specialized direction, according to orders, and linked production will contribute to increasing people's income, changing the face of agriculture and rural areas. At the same time, it will help people in the Xin Man highlands change their farming mindset, towards a prosperous and happy life," Ms. Huong shared.
Previously, from 2022, buckwheat seeds - an agricultural product known as a typical tree in tourism development, attracting tourists of Ha Giang province - were also exported to the Japanese market.
From agricultural products that were considered to have low value in the highland areas, thanks to changes in production thinking, they have met the requirements of demanding markets, bringing high economic value. At the same time, it has opened up a new direction for farmers, contributing to bringing highland agricultural products to the world market.
(Posted on the special edition of Lao Dong Xuan At Ty)
