HÀ NỘI — In recent years, Hà Nội has invested heavily in the development of agricultural commodities areas, creating safe farm produces to meet export standards. This is a solid solution to work towards the official export of the city's key farm produce.

To enhance productivity and quality and develop banana production for export, Hà Nội has promoted the issuance of growing area codes, inspection, supervision and increasing management.

According to the Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (HDARD), Chu Phú Mỹ, creating codes for safe agricultural production areas has played an important role in exporting the country's key farm produce.

HDARD has also conducted surveys, assessments of growing areas, survey maps for growing areas and collected information. The department has also verified records and made data entries on the OTAs system, electronic records, code plates and issued stamps for growing area codes.

Last year, Hanoi Agricultural Development Center supported granting three planting area codes in line with OTAS standards (Organic Standards) for domestic consumption and export. Specifically, Văn Khê Commune, Mê Linh District, has a 15-ha riverside banana-growing area and Hồng Hà Commune, Đan Phượng District, has over 30 ha for growing bananas in two riverside areas.

The issuance of growing area codes helped Hà Nội’s banana products to reach many markets. Once the pilot project is applied, it will expand the code-granted growing areas, helping increase the value of bananas.

Banana is one of four main fruit trees of Hà Nội, along with grapefruit, longan and orange. Some banana-growing areas have been formed in the districts of Gia Lâm, Thường Tín, Mê Linh, Đan Phượng, Ba Vì and Phúc Thọ.

Phú Mỹ said: “Thanks to the effective implementation of growing area code in 2022, Hà Nội's agricultural sector will continue to assist in newly planting 25ha by applying synchronous technology for export standards and supporting product development together with product consumption towards export.”

Expanding high-quality rice growing areas

With the growth of export-oriented Japonica rice varieties, from 2020 to 2021, Hà Nội has developed more than 50 models of Japonica rice varieties that are planted under the standard of VietGap and organic farming, meeting export standards.

To develop high-quality rice areas, the city’s agriculture sector sets a 2025 goal of expanding the areas of Japonica and high-quality rice production by another 200ha, meeting VietGAP and export standards.

City leaders and agronomists inspect new rice varieties in a growing area outskirt of Hà Nội. Photos courtesy of Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

According to the HDARD, the said models have created an average yield of 600kg per ha, bringing a profit of nearly VNĐ61.7 million per ha. It is 15-20 per cent higher than other rice varieties. The development of Japonica rice-growing areas has created safe rice varieties to compete in the market and meet export demand.

The city will form at least another two value chains of Ha Noi rice to expand the market of high-quality rice and Japonica rice varieties, contributing to the development of sustainable agricultural production.

Vice Chairman of Ứng Hòa District People's Committee Ngô Tiến Hoàng said for the district's Khu Cháy rice brand to reach out to the world, the authority will create favourable conditions to attract and link businesses in the production-consumption chain and promote the application of post-harvest technologies. 

A representative of Green Path Vietnam said the company would invest in building a complex in Hà Nội for verification and providing export services of agricultural products. In addition, it planned to directly support export, from pre-processing, packaging, and storage to transportation.

To tap into the rice potential, the city urges localities to accelerate the completion of infrastructure, transportation, and irrigation systems for specialised farming areas with the city’s investment.

The city will encourage and create mechanisms for businesses and cooperatives to link with farmers, forming closed value chains, increasing productivity, quality, and the capital's brand.

Ngô Tiến Hoàng said with the assistance of the HDARD, from 2018, Ứng Hòa had developed and multiplied its Japonica rice-growing areas, with an average of 4,000ha per crop.

The district has actively worked with businesses and cooperatives to participate in the rice production chain. The chain helps farmers improve their income and contributes to improving rice quality and the local brand of "Khu Cháy" rice.

Clients visit a booth to display new high-quality rice varieties in Hà Nội.

Under the plan to develop Japonica rice growing and high-quality rice in 2021-2025, Hà Nội has strived to achieve 80 per cent of high-quality rice varieties by 2025. It has set a target of maintaining and developing 80-100 growing areas for Japonica rice and high-quality rice for export.

Hà Nội has also assisted in providing technology for drying, processing, and preserving Japonica rice varieties to improve the value of Hà Nội rice varieties.

Phú Mỹ added that in the future, Hà Nội's agricultural sector would encourage trade promotion activities in combination with tourism and introduction of farm produce and development of raw material areas while boosting consumption and export markets. — VNS