Clean agricultural production – a sustainable direction

Dong Nai has a very large agricultural land area, which has created an abundant source of agricultural products. However, the market demand is becoming increasingly strict and exacting, especially for export. To meet these requirements, farming households, cooperative groups, and cooperatives have proactively adopted clean, organic-oriented production to ensure quality and contribute to reducing environmental pollution and climate change.

Members of Bu Lach Organic Cashew Cooperative (Tho Son Commune, Dong Nai Province) visit the model of inter-cropping coffee under cashew trees. Photo: Vu Thuyen

Clean and organic agricultural production has become an essential and sustainable direction in the current period.

The right direction

The red-flesh Tran Chau (Pearl) guava (originally from Taiwan) has been one of the main crops in Tan Quan Commune (Dong Nai Province) for more than 10 years. With its delicious taste, crisp texture, and eye-catching color, it is favored by consumers and sold across the country. This crop has been the “key” to creating stable jobs and increasing income for local people. However, to develop clean products and ensure sustainable development, farming households constantly innovate their mindset, building the Tran Chau guava brand in line with integration trends.

Chu Thi Mai La, Head of the Pearl Guava Cooperative Group in Tan Quan Commune, shared: “In previous years, it was easy to sell Pearl guava. However, over time, the market has placed greater emphasis on clean and safe products and requires certification and origin traceability. Therefore, I decided to establish the guava-growing cooperative group to build the Pearl guava brand”.

Although originating from Taiwan (China), Pearl guava is well-suited to the soil in Tan Quan and offers high yields and exceptional quality. As a result, from just a few initial households, the cooperative group has now attracted dozens of members with an area of about 100 hectares. Over time, the Pearl guava brand has obtained VietGAP certification and the 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product Program) certification in 2022, and in 2023, it was recognized as a Typical Product of the former Binh Phuoc Province.

In addition, the cooperative group has promoted digital transformation. Products are always fully labeled and tagged, so customers can simply scan the QR code to obtain complete information when considering a purchase. With the 3-star OCOP certification and the upcoming planting area code, the product not only meets domestic market demand but also opens up export opportunities to many countries worldwide.

Similar to many other localities, in previous years, low pepper prices combined with various diseases made many farmers in Phuoc Son Commune (Dong Nai Province) lose interest and confidence in this crop. However, after being encouraged to join the Clean Pepper Cooperative, farming households in the commune have remained committed, actively following proper procedures, resulting in higher yields and better quality than before.

Hoang Van Dinh, Chairman of the Farmers’ Association of Phuoc Son Commune, said: “In the past, farmers applied chemical fertilizers and plant protection products improperly and in the wrong dosage, leading to pepper plants dying. To stabilize production, the commune Farmers’ Association mobilized farmers to join the Clean Pepper Cooperative and partner with Nedspice Vietnam Co., Ltd. They provided guidance on care procedures, fertilization, and pest control, and strictly prohibited the use of chemical plant protection products, chemical fertilizers, or banned substances; only organic manure and biological sprays were allowed to create clean, healthy, lush pepper gardens with high yield and quality. The clean pepper produced by the cooperative is purchased 100% by Nedspice Vietnam Co., Ltd. with a guaranteed price higher than the market”.

“From the success of the Clean Pepper Cooperative, up to now, Phuoc Son has established four more cooperatives producing clean and organic-oriented agriculture, creating value chains to supply the market and generate high economic value. Based on this potential, the 2025–2030 Party Congress of Phuoc Son Commune has proposed a breakthrough program to leverage local advantages for agricultural economic development, apply high technology, organic agriculture, and circular agriculture, build product brands, and link product consumption with experiential tourism”, shared Hoang Van Dinh.

Sharing the outstanding achievements in implementing breakthroughs in high-tech and organic agriculture associated with processing and markets during the 2020–2025 term, Le Thi Anh Tuyet, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Nai Province, said: To date, Dong Nai has established 15 organic production zones covering 1,500 hectares, exceeding the planned target fivefold; and 8 high-tech production zones, three times the goal. Many products have been exported to demanding markets such as Japan and the Republic of Korea… Building on these results, in the coming time the sector will strengthen communication and raise awareness of the importance of high-tech and organic agriculture. We will synchronously plan high-tech and organic production zones, focusing on preservation, preliminary processing, and processing. At the same time, we will promote digital transformation, digitalize sector data, manage and trace origin to serve production and business…

Economic value from exports

After spending many years cultivating Japanese eggplant in Lam Dong Province, young farmer Nguyen Van Huy boldly brought this crop back to his hometown in Dong Phu Commune (Dong Nai Province) for trial planting more than a year ago. Notably, dozens of hectares of eggplant were grown on leased rubber farm land, yet this has yielded thousands of tons for export processing, bringing high economic value.

Japanese eggplant is a short-term crop that produces its first harvest 45 days after planting, and if cared for properly, it can be harvested continuously for 4–6 months with a yield of 60–80 tons per hectare.

Huy said: “After a short trial period, I found that Japanese eggplant is very suitable for the climate and soil in Dong Nai, and because of its short growth cycle, any plot of land can be utilized for planting and care”.

After just over one year of trial cultivation, Nguyen Van Huy’s Japanese eggplant model has expanded to 50 hectares. The harvested eggplant is supplied to partners for export processing to Japan at fixed prices, so there are no concerns about market consumption, but strict and clean production procedures must be followed.

With outstanding economic efficiency and many years of experience, Huy said he is ready to cooperate in transferring cultivation and care techniques and connecting farmers to markets for those truly committed to investing in this crop.

Bui Van Tat, Chairman of the Farmers’ Association of Dong Phu Commune, said: “Implementing the 2025–2030 Party Congress Resolution of Dong Phu Commune on converting production models to clean and organic, high-tech agriculture, the commune Farmers’ Association is currently surveying the actual situation to replicate effective models and practices, including Huy’s Japanese eggplant model. Dong Phu has large, flat agricultural land, so step by step, we will form specialized farming areas linked with sustainable consumption, especially for export.

The farmers’ application of science and technology in production and restructuring crops serves not only to increase productivity and quality, but also to meet the demands of difficult markets. In recent years, hundreds of households in Tho Son Commune (Dong Nai Province) have proactively engaged in value chain production with an organic-oriented approach. This initiative has led to the establishment of the Bu Lach Organic Cashew Cooperative in Tho Son Commune in 2022.

By choosing the right direction, just in a short time, the Bu Lach Organic Cashew Cooperative has attracted 220 ethnic minority members with more than 1,200 hectares of cashew trees, including 500 hectares meeting European standards and 200 hectares inter-cropped with nhip vegetables (a specialty forest vegetable).

For ethnic minority farmers, besides having opportunities to exchange and learn production experience, joining the Bu Lach Organic Cashew Cooperative has opened a new path, not only providing many benefits but also serving as a reliable support system to create quality products and develop sustainably.

Thi Khui, Director of Bu Lach Organic Cashew Cooperative, said: Thanks to the clean raw material areas, in recent years, the cooperative has signed product purchasing contracts with four European partners. For the 2025 cashew season alone, the cooperative exported 1,500 tons of raw cashews at 45,000 VND per kilogram, much higher than the selling price in the domestic market. With clean organic production, after the cashew harvest each year, cooperative members continue to harvest nhip vegetables under the cashew canopy. This is a specialty forest vegetable of the S’tieng, M’nong, and Chau Ma ethnic communities in the highlands of Tho Son. Previously, this vegetable only existed in primary forests, but in recent years, it has ‘regenerated’ in organic cashew gardens, creating a new source of income for farmers.

By Vu Thuyen – Translated by Quynh Nhu, Thu Ha