Developing organic and high-tech agriculture in the Central Highlands

"In order to reach out to the world market, it is necessary to change from production, harvesting to coffee processing in accordance with climate change and green consumption of countries around the world" - that mindset inspired Mr. Vinh Quang - the owner of Tamba farm in Nghia Hung commune, Chu Pah district, Gia Lai province decided to gradually shift part of his family's 200 hectares of coffee to clean production.

Quang said that the converted area is applied the organic farming process to produce clean, high-quality coffee berries.

At Tamba farm, fresh coffee is applied a very different drying process, which is drying on a high platform, in a greenhouse for about a week so that the entire aroma of ripe pods permeates into the beans.

Separation of flat seeds, seeds of poor color... is also done by machine. Then, hire workers to re-select by eye and hand to ensure the homogeneity of 100% of coffee beans.

Coffee is roasted by an Italian ultrasonic machine, as soon as it detects uneven beans in quality and size, it automatically stops...

That rigorous process ensures that the product achieves uniformity in quality, with the purest coffee taste, Mr. Quang said. As a result, in the first year of conversion, 120 tons of the farm's powdered coffee products have penetrated into the Japanese and German markets at a price four times higher than regular coffee. It is known that in April 2022, the farm organized to promote products in the US to gradually penetrate this market. 

In the process of growing organic Bo Chinh ginseng of AgriPlus Company, workers are only hired at the weeding stage

Also in Chu Pah district, Mr. Nguyen Phi Hoang - Director of AgriPlus Organic Medicinal Joint Stock Company decided to transfer 70 hectares of former tea plantation land to grow Bo Chinh ginseng - a type of ginseng evaluated by scientists as having the highest quality. Very high medicinal properties, equivalent to Korean ginseng.

The field of ginseng is located at an altitude of more than 670m above sea level but is very flat, the climate is cool all year round. Ginseng seeds are imported from Japan at a very high price, over 9 million VND/kg. The whole process of tillage, and watering is mechanized, using organic fertilizers for plants. Labor is only hired at the weeding stage.

Planting about 1 year, Bo Chinh ginseng for harvest. All products are exported to the Japanese market, with an expected cost of at least 400,000 VND/kg of fresh ginseng for the type weighing 0.2 kg/root or more. Revenue is estimated at 200 million VND/ha.

The shift to organic production, high-tech production in Tamba or AgriPlus Organic Medicinal Joint Stock Company aims to produce clean products that meet the strict standards of fastidious markets around the world. , but at the same time bringing very high-income value to producers is necessary and is the right and sustainable development path for farms and enterprises operating in the agricultural sector in the Central Highlands.

The Central Highlands provinces have diverse and abundant natural conditions, and many interwoven sub-climatic regions, which is a great advantage to applying high technology to agricultural development, in order to create highly competitive products. on the domestic and foreign markets such as vegetables, flowers, cold fruits, coffee, oolong tea, red dong ginseng...

Agricultural resources including soil, water, and climate are diverse, which is very convenient for the application of new technologies and mechanization in cultivation and animal husbandry to improve the value and competitiveness of agricultural products.

In 2021, the Central Highlands has two provinces, Dak Lak and Dak Nong, with an export value of US$1 billion or more, and agricultural products account for a large proportion of the total export value. Some agricultural products of the Central Highlands have penetrated into difficult markets such as Japan and the EU, marking a step forward in product quality and the right direction of green, clean and high-tech production. is a solution for sustainable and long-term agricultural development.

For a long time, China has been a big market for Vietnam's agricultural products. However, according to a report by the Customs Department of Lang Son province, when the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the Chinese side persisted in implementing the "Zero COVID" policy, so they should strengthen inspection and tighten quality and source management standards. origin of agricultural products, fruits and vegetables of Vietnam. Accordingly, all kinds of agricultural products, fruits, and fruits that want to be imported into China must have a permit from the quarantine agency, have full information on product quality, and standard packaging and have origin indication, clear origin.

Therefore, the agricultural products that farmers spontaneously produce, do not meet the requirements of the Chinese side when they are harvested in full swing, their output will be blocked because traders do not buy them. On the other hand, the products of Vietnam such as durian, passion fruit, coconut, whip, and pomelo... that have not been included in the list of imported items by China also cause difficulties for domestic production.

Durian is one of 6 fruit trees that have been granted area codes in Dak Lak (Photo: Dak Lak Provincial Portal)

According to a report by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak province, in 2021, the selling price of agricultural, forestry and fishery products will mostly decrease by 20-50% compared to the same period in 2020 (Winter-spring rice will decrease by 20-50% compared to the same period in 2020). 13- 15%, Lychee down 15-20% Pineapple down 40-50%, Mango down 30-50%; Durian down 30-50%, Avocado down sharply from 50-70%) interrupted, broken the production chain, supply, transport, and consumption of agricultural products, greatly affecting economic efficiency, income, psychology, ability to invest in product development, push farmers into a precarious situation, bet” with the market.

In the opposite direction, products produced according to high-tech agricultural standards of enterprises and cooperatives are still guaranteed to be produced and consumed until there, with stable prices.

In the opinion of many experts, agriculture in the Central Highlands has a comparative advantage because of its diversity and production scale. Some agricultural products have the world's leading producers. On the other hand, climate change is increasingly negatively affecting agricultural production; Population growth, with an increasing proportion of the population demanding organic agricultural products, will profoundly transform agriculture.

As the province with the largest total agricultural land area in the country, Dak Lak has actively applied scientific and technological advances and advanced production processes, especially high-tech agriculture and agricultural mechanization. Nguyen Hoai Duong - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the province said.

Currently, Dak Lak has formed a number of hi-tech and organic agricultural zones and zones with investment capital of hundreds of billions of dong, such as the Xuan Thien Cu M'gar hi-tech application agricultural zone. 107.61ha; DHN high-tech application breeding complex (in Ea M'Droh commune, Cu M'gar district): scale 45.07 ha; High-tech agricultural park with an area of 526 hectares invested by Dak Lak Rubber Joint Stock Company; high-tech agricultural area in Ea Tan commune, Krong Nang district, with a scale of 450ha… The livestock sector has shifted strongly in the direction of commodity production with many investment projects on large-scale livestock farms. Modern technology closed the production process.

However, investment in organic farming and high-tech agriculture is very expensive. For example, if investing in water-saving irrigation technology, farmers have to spend 60-70 million VND/ha. This level of cost is not suitable for the majority of farmers, but only farms, businesses and cooperatives can afford to do so. Therefore, in the immediate future, it is necessary to replicate organic farming models with highly viable and advantageous crops and livestock.

On the other hand, departments, branches and localities need to regularly direct, guide and focus on supporting the development of cooperatives, cooperative groups, and farms, creating the most favorable conditions for cooperatives, cooperative groups and farms participating in the production projects linked according to the value chain model, especially the missing and weak links such as mechanization, research on seed production, preservation of agricultural products, low logistics floor...

Focusing on developing organic and high-tech agricultural production for important commodities in the Central Highlands such as rubber, coffee, pepper, vegetables, medicinal herbs, etc. will contribute to increasing the competitiveness of farmers. Central Highlands products participate in the global value chain; at the same time gradually reduce the risk that people have to "bet" on the market's precariousness every time they enter the harvest period.