Clean production for safe products

In the past years, Long An agricultural sector actively propagated and instructed farmers about clean production to create safe products, increase productivity, output, quality as well as meet market demand, towards sustainable and environmentally-friendly farming.

Meeting market demand

Currently, the use of chemicals in cultivation and animal husbandry negatively affects consumers' health. Therefore, the agricultural sector recommends that farmers use pesticides effectively and not to use banned substances to ensure food safety.

For vegetable cultivation, functional branches and localities implement several clean production models such as melon production model in the net house based on Israeli technology at Tam Nong Viet Cooperative (Can Giuoc district, Long An province). Accordingly, the melon is fertilized in combination with drip irrigation according to the process and not using pesticides.

According to the director of Tam Nong Viet Cooperative - Dinh Bat Quy, at the beginning of 2018, he invested over 400 million VND to build a net house with an automatic watering system and tried to plant more than 1,000 square meters of Thailand origin melon.

He said: “From planting to harvesting, it takes 65 days with 4 crops per year. The productivity of 1,000 square meters of application of Israeli technology is 3 tons, the average price is 45,000 VND per kilogram, the profit is over 150 million VND. At present, I am expanding the model to 1 hectare of clean melon. Planting melon in net houses brings many benefits such as preventing rain and insects, reducing production costs, etc. Besides, because of not using pesticides (only using natural biological products), the products are trusted by consumers. Clean melon of the cooperative has been consumed in the market in and outside the province.”

Director of Phuoc Hoa Safe Vegetable Cooperative (Can Duoc district, Long An province) - Kieu Anh Dung said: “The cooperative has 42 members with an area of 15 hectares. Our products have safety certification. Every day, the cooperative consumes about 2.5 tons of vegetables. We also invested in a net house of hydroponic vegetable production with an area of 500 square meters. Currently, the vegetable products provide to the market in and outside the province as well as 2 stores of the cooperatives (in Ward 2 market, Tan An city and Thanh Hoa market, Thanh Hoa district). In addition, we also invested in seeding machine and filtering water systems with the amount of more than 150 million VND.”

In order to produce clean products, the province carried out a high-tech agricultural production in association with restructuring agriculture project. Up to now, the province has over 13,364 hectares of high technology applications on rice, reaching 66.82 percent of the plan; nearly 1,446 hectares of high-tech applications on vegetables, reaching 72 percent of the plan; about 1,634 hectares of high technology applied dragon fruit, reaching 81.7 percent of the plan.

By 2020, the province tries to have 4 high-tech agricultural production areas in association with agricultural restructuring. Accordingly, there are 20,000 hectares of rice, 2,000 hectares of dragon fruit, 2,000 hectares of vegetables and 5,000 beef cattle with 1-2 agricultural businesses applying high technology.

Clean production to meet market demand

Head of the provincial Sub-Department of Cultivation, Plant Protection and Agricultural Product Quality Control - Nguyen Van Cuong said: “The province has focused on building agricultural chains to contribute to the implementation of safe supply chains of agricultural, forestry and fishery products; control product quality, ensure food safety; link product distribution in the provincial market. At the same time, this activity also builds the brand and creates consumers’ belief in safety chain products; form a habit of using safe food. Up to now, the province has built 12 distribution chains of clean products (vegetables, rice, chicken, pork, etc.); coordinated with Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board to survey, build and award 9 certificates of participation in the chain; and organized 14 safe selling places in the province.

“In addition, the sector also strengthens inspection and supervision. In the first 6 months of 2019, the Sub-Department checked 454 samples. In which, 452 samples meet the required standards, 2 samples were contaminated with borax. In testing food safety criteria, 1 in 52 samples contaminated with Benzoate (Cao Thi Huyen household business, Tan Tru town, Tan Tru district). In the evaluation of 105 establishments that produce and trade in agricultural products, 17 ones were achieved grade A, 88 ones were ranked grade B. In addition, 48,906 households signed a commitment to secure production, increasing more than 28,000 households compared to the same period in 2018 ”- Mr. Cuong added.

Strengthening propaganda

According to Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development - Dinh Thi Phuong Khanh, the agricultural sector and local authorities continue to inform about the harms of using pesticides in the wrong process, the harms of unsafe food; comply with "4 right" on the use of pesticides, veterinary drugs; benefits of building safe food supply chains, applying good manufacturing practices (GAP, GMP). The sector also focuses on expanding, developing a model of the safe food supply chain; closely connect managers, scientists, farmers, businesses and cooperatives; continues to coordinate with the  Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Management Board to build a safe food supply chain.

In addition, the sector strengthens state management on market management, product quality and standard to create a fair competitive environment; promotes trade promotion activities, supports market information; manages and uses effectively geographical indications, collective marks and brands that have been built and protected in association with value chain development. Besides, the sector focuses on propagating to raise awareness, responsibility, promoting the role of the people in fighting, detecting and denouncing violations of agricultural materials management, and so on.

Particularly, the department continues to support establishments on the certification of good agricultural production practice (GAP) to ensure safe products for consumers; re-inspects 100 percent of C-graded establishments and thoroughly handles them; organizes trade promotion, production and consumption connection as well as promotes safe products that are certified.