Transparent origin for agricultural products

Dong Nai's mangoes are among the first in the area to be granted with a planting area code of 1.8 thousand hectares. Picture of mango harvest in Dinh Quan district. Photo taken by: Phan Anh

Over the past time, Dong Nai has focused on assisting farmers in building codes of export-growing areas for many strong local agricultural products.

Many agricultural products have been allocated with a plantation code

The issuance of a traceability code and traceability of agricultural products is considered a key in building trust in the quality and prestige of agricultural products because it helps to make information transparent from production, processing to distribution and the consumers can verify themselves.

This is also a mandatory requirement of current importing countries. Especially, even the easy-going market of China tightens quarantine and regulations on traceability labels, planting area codes as well as packing facility codes in Vietnam.…

Although it has only been implemented in the recent few years, many key agricultural products of Dong Nai, especially fresh fruit products, have area codes. Farmers actively responded with great support when participating in this program.

According to the Provincial Department of Crop Production, Plant Protection and Irrigation, the whole province currently has nearly 6.3 thousand hectares of fruit trees granted 87 planting area codes for export to China and other countries. In particular, the whole province has over 6.1 thousand ha of key fruit trees of Dong Nai such as mango, rambutan, jackfruit, dragon fruit ... granted 73 planting codes for export to the Chinese market. In addition, there are 169 hectares of fruit trees such as mango, rambutan, seedless lemon have been granted 14 planting codes for export to fastidious markets such as the US, Australia, Japan ...

Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Tran Lam Sinh said that the allocation of planting area codes as well as traceability is an opportunity to increase competitiveness for agricultural products in both domestic and export markets. Accordingly, Dong Nai is continuing to focus on assisting farmers in providing planting area codes for key local crops.

Need to change from farmer awareness

Rambutan is also a key fruit of Dong Nai with export strengths. Photo: Harvesting rambutan in Long Khanh City. Photo taken by: Phan Anh

In order to be eligible for the code of a growing area, farmers must change production practices to comply with safety standards, especially to make a habit of making production diary ... Meanwhile, agricultural products are still mainly sold to vendors and products with underdeveloped area codes are barriers to replication of this program.

Mr. La Quoc Thanh, Head of Phu Quy 2 Mango Cooperative Group (La Nga commune, Dinh Quan District), said that the process of issuing the code for planting areas is very strictly. Accordingly, the cooperative group has 27 members registered to participate but only 25 qualified members with 25 hectares of mangoes have been granted planting area codes eligible for export to fastidious markets such as Australia, New Zealand ...

According to Mr. Thanh, the farmers who are granted planting area codes must follow a clean production process, have to carry out mango bags and record production so it is more laborious and costly. The most difficult problem for farmers now is that clean mangoes that meet export standards mainly sell to traders at regular prices, they do not care that this is a clean mango with a planting area code.

Mr. Nguyen The Bao, Director of Suoi Lon Mango Cooperative (Xuan Loc district) shared about the long-term advantages when agricultural products are granted planting codes, participating in the program, farmers are greatly supported, especially on implementation funding. But the biggest benefit of registering and being granted a planting code, Suoi Lon mango is eligible for export to fastidious markets. Mr. Bao affirmed: “Having a planted area code, Suoi Lon mango brand is also recognized better by both domestic and export markets. Recently, many partners have come to work with cooperatives to export mangoes to fastidious markets such as Australia, Japan…”.

Phan Anh