Management of planting area and packaging facility codes is a key point in traceability and geographical indications for a number of major agricultural products of Hoa Binh province in order to meet export conditions. Therefore, issuance of planting area codes as well as good implementation of traceability are identified by the provincial agricultural sector as an opportunity to increase competitiveness of agricultural products in both domestic and export markets.
In recent years, the province has encouraged organisations and individuals to register for planting area and packaging facility codes in order to have more "passports" for the province’s agricultural products to go to the world.
Leaders of the provincial sub-department of crop cultivation and plant protection check cultivation diary of a pomelo household who has been granted a planting area code in Ngoc Luong commune, Yen Thuy district.
In late 2023, farmers in Luong Son district exported the first batch of Dien pomelos to the US market. Before export, the pomelos had been tested to ensure they met 900 food safety inspection criteria according to the requirements of the EU and the regulations of the importing country.
Earlier in the same year, Cao Phong district exported seven tonnes of fresh oranges to the UK market. Sample packages sent to the UK were cleared without any problems with food safety and origin.
So far, under the direction of the province and with support from specialised and local agencies, 389.77 hectares of fruit and five packaging facilities have been granted with export planting area and packaging codes by the plant protection authority and approved by importing countries. Since then, there have been a number of agricultural products that meet all export requirements to the markets of the UK, the US, China, the EU.
In the first six months of 2024, the province's total export volume of agricultural products reached 725 tonnes, with an export value of about 31.6 billion VND, an increase of about 10% over the same period last year.
Nguyen Hong Yen, Director of the sub-department of crop cultivation and plant protection, said that while it is difficult to acquire a planting area code, it is even harder to maintain the required conditions to keep the code. If the management is relaxed, shipments of exported agricultural products will meet regulations of importing countries, leading to a potential risk of reducing market share.
On October 12th, in Hanoi, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hoa Binh province coordinated with the Centre for Agricultural Trade Promotion (the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), the People's Committee of 2 districts, Kim Boi and Yen Thuy and R.Y.B joint Stock Company to export the processed agricultural products from Hoa Binh province to the UK market.
The provincial People's Committee on October 8 held a conference to sum up the 2023 administrative reform emulation movement and award winners of the online contest on learning about administrative reform work in Hoa Binh in 2024, under the chair of Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Chuong, who is deputy head of the provincial Steering Committee on Administrative Reform, and head of the contest’s organising board.
Over the recent past, Hoa Binh province’s steering board for digital transformation has advised the provincial administration about the promotion of information technology application and digital transformation. Thanks to that, encouraging results have been recorded in the building and development of electronic administration and digital transformation.
Hang Kia mountainous commune of Mai Chau district has made concerted efforts to overcome challenges to give a facelift to its rural landscape and improve local livelihoods.
The success of the Phu Luong wild chili cultivation model in Quyet Thang commune, Lac Son district, not only demonstrates the economic potential of this plant but also affirms the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of ethnic minority women.
With a total investment of nearly 10 trillion VND (nearly 406 million USD), the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway (section Km19+000 - Km53+000 in Hoa Binh province) has been the largest transport project in Hoa Binh province to date. As its construction is planned to begin in September, the management board of traffic works investment projects of the province is urgently preparing all conditions to start the work.
