Building growing area codes—The key to improving agricultural products

An inevitable step for integration

Tay Ninh has many key crops such as dragon fruit, durian, mango, lime, longan, jackfruit, custard apple, etc. Among them, some agricultural products have established a foothold in the domestic and foreign markets, but most of them are still consumed through unofficial channels, lacking sustainability. Therefore, in recent years, the province has focused on building growing area codes and packaging facilities as a fundamental solution to expand the export market.

The dragon fruit packaging process is closely monitored, ensuring traceability requirements before export

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, to date, the whole province has 396 growing area codes on a total area of ​​16,343 hectares, exported to many different markets. In addition, the province has 179 operating packaging facility codes, along with 13 packaging facility profiles waiting for code issuance and 97 other growing area profiles in the process of completing procedures to be recognized.

Of these growing area codes, 166 are issued for export to China - a market with high demand but also frequently changing regulations on quarantine and food safety. In addition, Tay Ninh also has 11 growing area codes for export to other demanding markets such as the US, the European Union (EU), Korea, etc. These are numbers that show the province's efforts in meeting the increasingly high demands of the world market.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoi, a dragon fruit farmer in An Luc Long commune, shared: “Previously, my family's dragon fruit was mainly sold to traders, with unstable prices. Since joining the coded growing area, the products have been guaranteed by businesses, prices have been more stable, and income has also been higher. Most importantly, farmers are guided on techniques and production according to a systematic process, avoiding fragmented and spontaneous production.”

Foundation for sustainable production

Building growing area codes is not just a matter of administrative procedures but also a process of changing farmers' mindset and production habits. When participating in the coded growing area, farmers must strictly comply with the regulations: use fertilizers and pesticides according to instructions; keep a field diary; ensure food hygiene and safety; protect the environment and land and water resources.

To date, Tay Ninh has 396 growing area codes with an area of ​​over 16,300 hectares, expanding export opportunities

Mr. Bui Van Khap, a lime grower in Binh Thanh commune, said: “At first, when we heard that we had to keep a production diary, we found it very troublesome. But after getting used to it, I saw the advantage of being able to control the cultivation process, know what the plants need, and avoid overusing pesticides. Customers are also more secure because everything is transparent.”

This change also creates a foundation for sustainable production. Many cooperatives and cooperative groups have been established, bringing farmers together to comply with the production process, sharing benefits and responsibilities. This is also the basis for forming concentrated raw material areas, meeting the requirements of processing and exporting enterprises.

Despite achieving remarkable results, the process of building growing area codes in Tay Ninh still faces many challenges. Many farmers are still hesitant because they do not see immediate benefits, while the investment and maintenance costs of the process are still quite high. Some cooperatives lack technical staff and the capacity to manage records, leading to slow progress.

The situation of fragmented, small-scale production also makes the formation of standard raw material areas encounter many obstacles. Not to mention, the work of monitoring and maintaining growing area codes after being granted is still limited, which can affect the reputation of local agricultural products.

Faced with these difficulties, the Tay Ninh Department of Agriculture has been implementing many solutions. Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh said: "We focus on supporting farmers and cooperatives in completing records and procedures for granting codes, at the same time organizing training and guidance on standard farming techniques; building an electronic monitoring system, applying digital technology to transparently manage growing areas, minimizing risks"./.

By Minh Tue -Translated by Q. Thien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/xay-dung-ma-so-vung-trong-chia-khoa-nang-tam-nong-san-a203207.html