Increasing the Value of Agricultural Products

25 years ago, when it was first divided, Hung Yen was a purely agricultural province, a narrow land with many people and having a low starting point. In order to contribute to the development of the local economy, Hung Yen's Agriculture and Rural Development sector has focused on solving the problem of "Improving the quality, stabilizing production and efficient consumption of agricultural products, improving the lives of farmers” and has made important achievements.

According to Mr. Le Trung Can, Deputy Director of Hung Yen Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, with its enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, increasing the application of science and technology, advanced technology, and information technology to production and consumption of agricultural products will definitely bring success.

Promoting agricultural restructuring

Sharing the same view with Hung Yen province, on the occasion of his visit and working with the province in 2018, former member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong commented: "Restructuring the agricultural sector must be associated with urban development, rural economy, population, labor and tourism; taking advantage of its proximity to Hanoi to develop typical agriculture and urban specialties.”

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan visits the area growing longans according to VietGAP standards in Hung Yen city

Hung Yen was the third province in the country to complete the task of building a new rural area in 2020 (concreting rural transport infrastructure, strengthening the synchronous irrigation system). In particular, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the Department of Science and Technology, the Provincial Farmers' Association and other departments, sectors and localities to send professional staff directly to each commune and district to study and coordinate in the development of projects on developing plants and animals; building trademark registration of agricultural products; implementing VietGAP program; building OCOP product registration; organizing training conferences; organizing study tours of successful models inside and outside the province; and organizing domestic and international fairs. Up to now, due to the right direction and the key investment attention of the Central government and Hung Yen province, the responsibilities of the Agriculture and Rural Development sector and related sectors and levels have created a motivation for collective organizations (cooperatives, agricultural enterprises), and individuals (households) to receive effective transfer scientific and technical advances, advanced technology, and information technology for successful application in agricultural production and product consumption in recent years.

The specific results are as follows: In 2021, the total area of fruit trees in Hung Yen was estimated at 14,668ha (up 3.25%), contributing to bringing the average income of 01ha of arable land to over VND215 million/ha, an increase of VND5 million/ha compared to 2020. Livestock production was generally stable, growing by 3.86%; the total herd of livestock and poultry in the province developed quite well. The aquaculture area was 5,570ha, the output was 50,238 tons. The economic cooperatives developed, diversified in form and scale, in 2021, 21 new cooperatives and 140 cooperative groups were established, increasing the total number to 339 cooperatives; maintaining 175 links of production and consumption of products, such as production and consumption chains of safe vegetables; rice production and consumption chain; chain of production and consumption of longans; cage fishes; there were 70 OCOP products rated 3 stars or more, bringing the total number of evaluated products to 140. In 2021, there were 23 more communes recognized as meeting advanced new-style rural standards, 06 communes meeting the model new-style rural standards, and 26 residential areas recognized as the model new-style rural ones. The percentage of rural households having access to clean water reached 92%.

Innovation in management thinking, production organization

In the province, there are many models that bring added value and are successfully replicated such as: Hung Yen fragrant sticky rice (Yen My town), Ne Chau longan, Hung Hai clean fish (Hung Yen city); early-ripening hybrid lychee, cantaloupe, cucumber (Phu Cu district); Chi Tan turmeric, pink cavendish banana, Dong Tao chicken (Khoai Chau); flowers and ornamental plants (Van Giang, Van Lam, Khoai Chau); Pumpkin, cucumber (Kim Dong).

We had the opportunity to interact with some typical cooperatives such as: Ne Chau Longan Cooperative (Ne Chau Village, Hong Nam Commune, Hung Yen City) producing longan (on an area of 22ha) according to VietGAP standards, linking production and consumption by chains; Hung Hai Fisheries Cooperative (Hung Yen City) raising fish in cages (57 cages) on the river to meet VietGAP standards; with production, consumption and processing according to chains; An Thinh Phat Vegetable and Medicinal Plant Production and Supply Cooperative (Tong Chan commune, Phu Cu district) producing safe cantaloupes and cucumbers in a net house (an area of 8,000m2). Along with that are gardens growing flowers and ornamental plants in Van Giang district such as Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luan (Me So commune) creating a unique shape for ornamental kumquats; Mr. Nguyen Van Thao (Lien Nghia commune) with artistic ornamental pomelo pots, bonsai kumquat trees combined with driftwood to create a unique shape; Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (Thang Loi commune) grafting lemons and kumquats on the "old" pomelo to create a bonsai with a "unique and strange" shape. All these establishments are invested in camera systems at the production site and connect product consumption through websites, payment via smartphone.

The successful models of agricultural production transformation and development all show common points of high appreciation of the benefits, motivations promoted through the National Target Program on building new rural areas; safe production of VietGAP; trademark and product brand registration; application and transfer of science and technology, advanced technology, information technology and e-commerce. These have created a fundamental innovation in management thinking, production organization, and market sensitivity, promoting wide linkages within the province, outside the province and expanding abroad to create production and consumption chains, contributing to further improving farmers' incomes, promoting sustainable development of Hung Yen's agriculture.

By Vietnam Business Forum