Enhancing quality of investment in organic agriculture

From small-scale pilot projects, organic agriculture in Dong Nai City has now expanded to include key crops and livestock, including industrial crops, fruit trees, rice, and pig farming. In particular, many major corporations and enterprises have invested in large-scale, sustainable organic production chains that are beginning to develop in greater depth, not only expanding in scale but also ensuring sustainability.

Farmers in Nghia Trung Commune participating in a linked production chain are guided directly in their gardens by technicians from Nedspice Processing Vietnam Co., Ltd. on organic pepper cultivation techniques. Photo: Binh Nguyen

This feature has become an advantage for Dong Nai City in planning and establishing 11 organic agriculture zones covering nearly 19,400 hectares. Local authorities have paid close attention to creating favorable mechanisms and policies to attract business investment and support farmers in building large-scale, sustainable organic agriculture value chains, contributing to the development of a green agricultural brand for the new Dong Nai City.

Towards sustainable development

In 2022, Huynh Ngoc Tay, a farmer in Dinh Quan commune, began experimenting with an organic pig-farming model with nearly 10 pigs. Although the operation started on a small scale, participation in the value chain of Que Lam Group Joint Stock Company (Ho Chi Minh City) enabled him to receive training and master organic pig farming techniques. The model offers many advantages. The barns use biological bedding, meaning the farming process produces no wastewater or foul odors. Livestock waste can serve as a source of organic fertilizer for crops. The pigs are raised with relaxing music, cooling mist systems, and strict disease control through biosecure farming methods. Herbal supplements are also added to feed rations to strengthen the animals’ immune systems.

Huynh Ngoc Tay said: “From the initial pilot herd of nearly 10 pigs, the farm has now expanded to around 100 pigs, including nearly 10 breeding and replacement sows. I feel confident in expanding investment because the company guarantees product purchases at prices higher than the general market rate.”

In 2023, a durian orchard owned by farmer Tran Quang Hiep in Xuan Que Commune, covering more than 3 hectares, was certified organic. The model has become a pilot foundation for replication among local durian growers. To date, around 60 hectares of durian cultivated by members of the Xuan Que Durian Cooperative Group have been produced under organic standards. Thanks to this transition, the cooperative’s durian products are prioritized by traders and enterprises because their quality meets export standards for the world’s most demanding markets.

Not only focusing on production, but many farmers and organic agricultural producers have also invested in branding and developing clean agricultural products for long-term sustainability. Truong Hoan Thien, owner of the Nui Cui Agricultural Cultivation and Processing Facility in Gia Kiem Commune, has obtained 3-star OCOP certification for two organic products: “Buddha's hand” bananas and vegetables. With a production scale of nearly three hectares, the facility ensures a stable supply of organic vegetables and fruits. It has signed product distribution contracts with businesses across many provinces and cities nationwide. The facility also actively participates in conferences and promotional programs for organic agricultural products and OCOP goods, helping its products gradually establish a strong market presence.

Building the organic agricultural product brand of the new city

To date, the Cooperative Program for Organic Agriculture Development through Production and Consumption Linkages between Que Lam Group Joint Stock Company and the Dong Nai City People’s Committee has been underway for nearly four years. From the initial pilot models, the program has established two sustainable organic rice production linkages covering more than 55 hectares. The enterprise has also helped farmers establish four linked chains for fruit cultivation, focusing on the city’s key crops, including pomelo, mangosteen, and durian. It has also supported farmers in building a linked chain for organic pig farming. These linked chains have proven economically effective, an important factor in ensuring the sustainability of the pilot models, enabling them to develop more substantively and continue to expand in the coming period.

Hoang Dinh Hop, Deputy General Director in charge of the Southern region of Que Lam Group Joint Stock Company, affirmed: “The cooperative program for organic agriculture development through production and consumption linkages between the company and Dong Nai City People's Committee has proven effective. Dong Nai’s elevation to city status creates favorable opportunities for enterprises to expand cooperation in organic agriculture development further. We hope the new city will introduce more special mechanisms and policies to accompany enterprises in building and promoting organic agricultural brands.”

With the same objective, since 2013, Nedspice Processing Vietnam Co., Ltd., a Dutch-invested enterprise, has cooperated with the authorities of the former Dong Nai Province, now Dong Nai City, to implement the Sustainable Pepper Value Chain Development Program to secure raw materials for its two major processing plants located in Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City. To date, the program has established more than 50 clubs and cooperatives involving 2,500 participating households. More than 1,000 farming households have been supported in obtaining organic certification and other international quality certifications. In particular, farmers participating in the organic pepper value chain receive guaranteed product purchases from the company at prices 17-25% higher than non-certified pepper.

Jos van Gulick, General Director of Nedspice Processing Vietnam, shared that in 2025, the company exported 28,000 tons of spices and agricultural products. The enterprise is planning to invest in an additional processing plant in Dong Nai City. During the 2026-2030 period, the company hopes to strengthen cooperation with city authorities and localities across Dong Nai to expand safe organic pepper production chains, thereby contributing to the development and branding of Dong Nai City’s pepper industry.

According to agricultural exporters, major export markets such as the European Union, the United States, and Japan continue to tighten food safety standards. Traceability requirements are also becoming increasingly strict. Therefore, the development of organic agriculture models is considered an inevitable trend to strengthen the competitiveness of agricultural products in export markets.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho