Luc Ngan Fruit Cooperative (Tan Quang commune) and the model of raising fish to create a river within a pond

 Yen Dung Clean Vegetable Cooperative – Caring for cantaloupe in greenhouses

On August 16, 2016, the Standing Committee of the Bac Giang Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution 130-NQ/TU on promoting the application of high technology in agricultural production in Bac Giang province. Accordingly, the province has issued many mechanisms, policies, programs, and plans for implementation; especially Resolution No. 46/2016/NQ-HĐND dated December 8, 2016, of the Provincial People’s Council stipulating policies to support the development of high-tech agricultural production, giai đoạn 2017-2020; and Resolution No. 24/2018/NQ-HĐND dated December 7, 2018, stipulating some policies to support and encourage the development of cooperatives and cooperative unions operating in the agricultural sector. Resolution No. 07/2019/NQ-HĐND dated July 11, 2019, stipulates the specific mechanisms and policies to encourage businesses to invest in agriculture and rural areas in Bac Giang province for the period 2019-2025. The goal is to achieve, by 2030, a 50% rate of high-tech application in agricultural production, 55% in aquaculture, and 30% in forestry. The rate of agricultural and aquatic products produced according to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or equivalent standards will reach over 80%; farm and concentrated livestock production will account for 80%. The province focuses on applying mechanization to production, harvesting, preservation, and processing to improve productivity, quality, and competitiveness of agricultural products, paying attention to improving the level of mechanization and automation from production to harvesting, preservation, and processing, especially for OCOP products.

Currently, the entire province has invested in promoting the application of high technology in production: implementing the construction of 800 high-tech agricultural models, with 585 agricultural cooperatives, of which 48 cooperatives apply high technology to production according to VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards to create high-yield, high-quality products. Agricultural production results in 2022 continued to be stable, with the value of agricultural production growing compared to the same period. The value of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production in 2022 is estimated at VND 15,118 billion, an increase of 2.47% compared to the same period in 2021, of which: Agriculture reached VND 8,986.5 billion, an increase of 2.7%; forestry reached VND 1,724.2 billion, an increase of 5.8%; and fisheries reached VND 4,407.3 billion, an increase of 0.78%. The value of annual crop production per hectare is estimated at 92 million VND (equivalent to 2021 and an increase of over 2 million VND compared to 2020), and the value of aquaculture production per hectare is estimated at approximately 400 million VND (an increase of over 5 million VND compared to 2020).

The province also focuses on developing policies to encourage economic entities to invest in agriculture and promote the application of high technology in production. With these efforts, the province has attracted many large enterprises to invest in agriculture, such as the Yen Dung Clean Vegetable Cooperative, which built a 5,000m2 greenhouse for production according to VietGAP standards. This is a pioneering cooperative in the province and district in investing in and applying high technology. During production, cooperative members avoid harmful chemicals and prioritize environmentally friendly microbial agents and organic fertilizers. The cooperative applies the “four correct” rules for fertilizer and pesticide use: correct type, correct dosage, correct method, and correct timing, thereby minimizing environmental pollution.

The Luc Ngan Fruit Cooperative (Tan Quang commune) was established in 2017 and currently has 22 member households, with a total area of ​​over 50 hectares planted with oranges and pomelos. Notably, 100% of the cooperative’s citrus fruit area is produced according to VietGAP standards, with 20 hectares of oranges having been certified as VietGAP in 2018. Thanks to clean production and superior quality, the cooperative’s products are being purchased directly from the orchards by traders. Not only are the cooperative’s VietGAP-certified oranges available at major wholesale markets nationwide, but they are also beginning to be sold in supermarkets and organic food stores.

In Yen The district, in May 2019, the Hong Ky Commune Goat and Honey Bee Production and Consumption Cooperative was established (formerly the Hong Ky Commune Beekeeping Club). Since 2011, “Forest Flower Honey” has been granted a collective trademark, becoming a well-known brand in the market. With the support of the cooperative, beekeeping is expanding throughout Yen The district, with approximately 10,000 bee colonies and over 500 beekeeping households.

Safe vegetable and processed vegetable production models, covering hundreds of hectares in Yen Dung, Lang Giang, Hiep Hoa, and Luc Nam districts, generate an average income of 500-800 million VND/hectare/year; the products have a stable market through contracts with businesses.

High-end, high-quality flower production models in Bac Giang city have linked product consumption with businesses and cooperatives, generating revenue of 3-5 billion VND/hectare/year, 2-3 times higher than conventional flower production.

Luc Ngan district has boldly experimented with organic lychee cultivation. This method is safe for both farmers and the environment, leaving no pesticide residue on the product, resulting in better plant growth and sweeter, more fragrant lychee fruit.

Citrus fruit production models have been implemented in Luc Ngan district on 35 hectares of Duong Canh and Vinh oranges; applying drip irrigation systems and VietGAP production processes; yielding an average income of 500-700 million VND/hectare/year.

The tea production model implemented in Yen The district applies a drip irrigation system, uses new varieties, and biological fertilizers and pesticides; production follows VietGAP standards, linked to processing and consumption of products along the value chain, increasing productivity, quality, and efficiency by 20-30% compared to conventional production. The successful results of the model have helped expand the tea growing area in Yen The district to over 382 hectares (including 17 hectares producing according to VietGAP standards) with a production of over 4,826 tons.

Hoa Phat Group implemented a high-tech pig farming model on an area of ​​110 hectares in Long Son commune, Son Dong district, with a scale of raising 5,000 sows and 18,000 fattening pigs per batch; Dabaco Group has invested in raising JA parent poultry in Yen The district on a scale of 60,000-70,000 birds, applying closed-loop cold storage technology and using automated production lines for care and harvesting; Yen The Forestry Company Limited (a two-member company) has planted forests using high technology and has been granted FSC sustainable forest certification for 2,171 hectares; and 179 Joint Stock Company processes wood for export…

Income per unit area using high technology has increased 7-10 times compared to conventional agricultural production; the effectiveness of these models has helped create more local jobs and increase workers’ income by 2-3 times compared to conventional production. At the same time, it has attracted young, qualified, and capable individuals to participate in innovative startups and invest in the agricultural sector.

The model of raising fish by creating rivers within ponds was imported from abroad.

The province has applied VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards in cultivation, covering over 39% of its fruit-growing area; it has also implemented smart weather technology (Imetos), VietGAP software, QR codes for traceability, drip irrigation technology, information technology, and post-harvest technology. As a result, the province has achieved significant results in developing high-tech agriculture, with 52 key and distinctive products, including: 8 key products (lychee, chicken, pork, oranges and pomelos, high-quality rice, vegetables, peanuts, and fish), 14 distinctive products, and 30 potential products; 40 products have been registered for protection, some of which are protected internationally, such as: “Chu noodles” and “Ke noodles” protected in Japan, South Korea, and Thailand; “Yen The hill chicken” protected in Singapore, China, and Laos; and “Luc Ngan lychee” protected in the USA, Australia, and Singapore. There are 60 registered trademarks, including: 1 geographical indication, 4 certification marks, and 55 collective marks; agricultural, aquatic, and livestock products had good harvests and favorable consumption. In 2022, rice yield reached 58.4 quintals/hectare (0.2 quintals/hectare higher than 2021, the highest ever), lychee production exceeded 199.5 thousand tons; commercial fish harvest reached 52,242 tons (an increase of 4.0% compared to 2021); live meat production reached 252.8 thousand tons (an increase of 5.1% compared to 2021); timber production reached 1.0 million m3 of various types of wood (achieving the target of Resolution 19th Party Congress two years ahead of schedule). The application of science and technology improved product quality, and many products affirmed their position in the world market. The area of ​​high-quality rice reached 45,010 hectares, accounting for 46.1% of the cultivated area; the area of ​​lychee grown according to VietGAP standards reached 15,400 hectares (an increase of 200 hectares), and the area of ​​lychee grown according to GlobalGAP standards reached 555.5 hectares (an increase of 36.5 hectares compared to 2021); for the first time, 10 tons were exported to the Australian and South Korean markets, and many other agricultural products have export potential in the future; 129 concentrated fruit production areas with a scale of 10 hectares or more were digitized (the first locality in the country).

Successfully established a disease-free zone for avian influenza and Newcastle disease in Yen The district (the first locality in the Northern and Central regions); built over 80 hectares of automated aquaculture areas, and the area of ​​intensive aquaculture according to VietGAP standards reached 820 hectares (316 hectares have been certified). Sustainable forest management certification (FSC) was granted to 9,198 hectares (an increase of 2,115 hectares compared to 2021).

The province has 205 OCOP products with 3 stars or higher (31 products with 4 stars, accounting for 15.1%; 174 products with 3 stars, accounting for 84.9%). Notably, the province has one product (Hong Xuan Luc Ngan lychee) with the potential for a 5-star national rating and one rural tourism destination product (Ban Ven eco-tourism and culture). Many products have become luxury gifts; over 60% of OCOP producers have seen an average annual revenue increase of over 15%.

In the coming period, besides leveraging all external investment resources and maximizing existing domestic resources and potential for long-term development, along with supporting farmers, a stronger support policy is needed regarding loans, science and technology, and intellectual property protection. Simultaneously, the linkage between the “four stakeholders”—the State, scientists, farmers, and businesses—is crucial in the research, transfer, application, production, and consumption phases. Clearly defining priority tasks for each region and area is essential to strengthen support for science and technology, coordinating and integrating it with other programs and projects in the area, both in terms of content and financial resources. For the farmers themselves (businesses, farm owners, household producers, and families), as the central beneficiaries of these model projects, they must have a desire to improve their lives and become wealthy. This will foster a sense of seeking information, learning, adopting new technologies, and applying them to production to improve living standards and contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas.

N.T. Châm – TT KC&XTTM Bắc Giang