Bac Giang expands area of VietGAP production to raise farm produce quality

To improve quality and value of local farm produce, the northern province of Bac Giang has focused on expanding area of agricultural production under VietGAP standard. Along with supporting mechanism and policies, experience in production management is vital for the province to fulfill the target of producing 30 percent of vegetables, fruits and aquatic products under the standard.

A net house vegetable cultivation model in Quang Thinh commune, Lang Giang district.

Establishing various concentrated production zones

Members of the Huong Dat Cooperative in Dong Viet commune (Yen Dung district) are busy sowing watermelon seeds, starting a new crop. Some prepare the soil and cover the soil with membranes, while others sow the seeds. It is the second crop that the cooperative has grown watermelon following safe method, using qualified seeds and micro-biotic fertilizer, as well as polyethylene membranes to reduce weed and harmful insects.

Le Van Tuan, director of the cooperative said by growing watermelon under VietGAP standard, average output hit 30-33 tonnes per ha, higher than that of conventional farming by 4-5 tonnes per ha while reducing the cost of fertilizers and labor.

In addition to Huong Dat Cooperative, to date, eight production areas under VietGAP standard have been formed in Yen Dung district. The areas are located in Tien Dung, Canh Thuy, Xuan Phu, Tri Yen, Tu Mai and Duc Giang communes, with a total acreage of more than 50ha.

Local authorities have also paid attention to the building of safe production area in other localities of the province. In Hiep Hoa district, along with 50ha of water dropwort in Hoang Luong commune recognized as meeting VietGAP standard, the district has zoned four vegetable production areas in Dong Lo, Thanh Van, Hop Thinh and Doan Bai communes, with a scale of 10ha or more per area.

Similarly, Viet Yen district also built one concentrated area of aquatic farming (19ha) in Tinh Loc village (Nghia Trung commune) and several large-scale vegetable production areas. For example, the safe vegetable production model in Minh Son village (Trung Son commune) drew the participation of 42 households with a total area of 20ha. 

Each family has 2-4 members joining in the model, creating jobs for local people and raising their income. Local farmers said their long-time experience in growing vegetables and the application of advanced technology help them save production cost. Farmers have worked to ensure that farm produce will meet food safety requirements with improved quality and value, raising income for all households.

Giving support to farmers

Officials of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development visit a greenhouse honeydew melon farming model of the Dong Tam 3 Cooperative in Thuong Thang commune, Hiep Hoa district.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province now has more than 13,000ha of lychee, 40ha of aquaculture and hundreds of ha of vegetables cultivated under VietGAP standards, mainly in the districts of Luc Ngan, Hiep Hoa, Tan Yen, Lang Giang, Luc Nam and Yen Dung, and Bac Giang city. 

Notably, with the province’s support policy, there have been 21 models applying high technology in production, preservation, and processing of agricultural products, thus helping to increase productivity, quality, value and competitiveness of local farm produce. Some cooperatives and cooperative groups have also received instructions in how to apply advanced quality management systems.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Duong Thanh Tung said: “This year, the province targets to have 30 percent of the vegetable, fruit and fishery output produced under good agricultural practices. To reach this goal, the sector has made plans and assigned specific targets to each locality.”

In fact, each locality has its own ways of applying VietGAP standards in agricultural production depending on the local type of plant. To expand the lychee farming area under the VietGAP, Luc Ngan district has required each hamlet and village to set up at least one cooperation group or club, and each commune to establish an agricultural production and consumption association. In these groups, members with VietGAP certificates share experience in safe lychee farming with other members.

Meanwhile, in Hiep Hoa district, cooperatives were set up to become the “locomotives” in safe vegetable farming. Four cooperatives of this kind were founded in 2017 and became the nucleus of the concentrated farming areas of Dong Lo, Thanh Van, Hop Thinh and Doan Bai communes.

In Yen Dung district, to encourage local farmers to follow VietGAP standards, the district People’s Committee has given financial support to its communes in undertaking procedures for getting certification.

“Three vegetable farming areas covering 30ha in total in Tien Dung and Canh Thuy communes have been granted with VietGAP certificates,” Hoang Huu Lan, deputy head of Yen Dung’s division for agriculture and rural development, said. He added that this year, the district People’s Committee will continue assisting efforts to seek certification for another 20ha.