Bac Kan is successfully attracting funding for 10 agriculture and forestry projects

Enormous potential

Bac Kan province has the greatest forest coverage proportion in the nation, exceeding 73%. This amounts to a total of about 374,000 hectares of wooded area, of which around 100,000 hectares are comprised of planted forests. Bac Kan province not only boasts a significant annual harvest of wood from planted forests, but also has immense potential for cultivating valuable medicinal plants and forest undergrowth. Due to its favorable potential, Bac Kan province is prioritizing establishing wood processing facilities for exporting and manufacturing value-added products based on medicinal plants.

Bac Kan province has a substantial yearly agricultural land area suitable for crop growth. It is home to several distinctive crop types that hold promise for advanced processing into outstanding agricultural goods. The ginger plantation covers an area of around 500 hectares annually, yielding an average of 760 kilos per hectare. This is the unprocessed material used to produce ginger vermicelli, a distinctive agricultural product, and the province's main product for many years.

In addition, Bac Kan also has designated sites for the growth of turmeric, covering around 200 hectares every crop season. The turmeric cultivated in Bac Kan is highly regarded for its superior quality in the area. It is used as the primary ingredient for producing goods such as curcumin and turmeric starch.

Bac Kan is known for its great range of products made from fragrant pumpkins. This native crop has a unique fragrance. Every year, more than 300 hectares of land are dedicated to raising fragrant pumpkins, generating over 10,000 tons. At now, several firms and cooperatives have transformed fragrant pumpkin into various goods, including fragrant pumpkin tea and dried fragrant pumpkin.

Bac Kan province is a significant producer of tea, cultivating around 1,800 hectares of land, of which almost 500 hectares are dedicated to growing Snow Shan tea. Annually, the province produces more than 7,000 tons of fresh tea buds. Presently, 11 tea processing products in the province have obtained a minimum 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification. However, the processing mostly relies on traditional methods, characterized by limited levels of industrialization and machines. This creates favorable conditions for companies to establish manufacturing facilities and invest in the scientific and technical processing of tea in Bac Kan.

Bac Kan is renowned for its cultivation of many different and excellent rice varieties. An outstanding kind of rice is the Thai fragrant rice cultivated in the Cho Don district, covering over 1,800 hectares and yielding an annual production of more than 9,000 tons. The Intellectual Property Office awarded a collective trademark registration to Khau nua lech Ngan Son fragrant sticky rice in 2015. This kind of rice has a tender and adhesive texture, along with a unique aroma. It is grown over an expansive area of more than 100 hectares, resulting in an annual yield of 410 tons.

Bac Kan province has an estimated 3,500 hectares of citrus trees, more than 700 hectares of seedless persimmon trees, and over 1,000 hectares of apricot trees. The province is seeking investment for the advanced processing of these essential agricultural goods.

Furthermore, as a result of its mostly undulating topography, Bac Kan province has significant prospects for the expansion of extensive animal husbandry. The province prioritizes the attraction of investment in this area, as well as the establishment of centralized slaughterhouses.

Attracting investment is a main goal

Bac Kan province seeks investments in the establishment of agricultural, forestry, and medicinal plant processing facilities that are connected with local material regions, to take advantage of the benefits offered by key goods. The province supports the development of superior agricultural goods, intending to enhance their value and establish the province as a hub for processing agricultural, forestry, and medicinal products in the North Central Mountainous area.

Bac Kan province is seeking investment for various projects in 2024, including the development of medicinal plant projects in districts and cities, the establishment of concentrated material areas for processing wood, bamboo, and rattan, and the cultivation and processing of agricultural products in conjunction with eco-tourism experiences. In addition, Bac Kan province also entices enterprises to invest in establishing processing facilities for agricultural and forestry products. This includes projects for processing and preserving products made from seeded fruits, projects for producing bottled beverages using orange, citrus, and apricot fruits, and projects for producing industrial alcohol through leaf fermentation in conjunction with community tourism.

Bac Kan province focuses on attracting investments in advanced livestock projects and facilities for livestock slaughter in the livestock industry. These projects will get incentives related to land leasing, size, and the overall investment amount will be determined based on approved plans and the investor's capability. Notable are the medicinal plant development initiatives that the province is conducting in all districts and cities, which are combined with processing.

The Provincial People's Council of Bac Kan has just released Resolution No. 01 on April 27, 2022, outlining the specific amounts of assistance that will be provided to organizations and people involved in the cultivation, processing, and trade of medicinal plants, to promote their potential. As a result, the whole province has successfully planted 529 hectares of medical plants, reaching 96% of the objective set for the 2021-2025 medicinal plant development plan. At present, there are 11 firms and cooperatives in the province that produce primary products from 21 different medicinal plant species. Additionally, 14 secondary production units engage in deep processing of these products, including various formulations and packaging.

Bac Kan aims to establish four distinct areas dedicated to the production of concentrated medicinal plants, namely the Central, Eastern, Western, and Northern and Northeastern sub-regions. These areas will focus on cultivating 26 different kinds of medicinal plants. The projected land area for 2025 is 545 hectares, with 345 hectares dedicated to intercropping and 200 hectares used for cultivating under forest canopies. This cultivation is expected to provide around 1,600 tons of dried medicinal ingredients per year.

According to Mr. Ha Sy Huan, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Kan, the sector's top aim is to cultivate medicinal plants in conjunction with advanced processing techniques due to their significant potential. The agriculture sector of Bac Kan actively promotes the development of firms with the necessary ability and expertise to establish a comprehensive value chain from raw material production to processed goods. In addition, the sector is carrying out a project to cultivate hundreds of hectares of medicinal plants in Ba Be district as part of the National Target Program for Socio-economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, scheduled for completion in 2024. In the future, this initiative will also provide a plentiful supply of raw materials for the processing of medicinal plants in deep processing facilities.

Mr. Lam Tien Giap, Director of the Investment Promotion and Enterprise Support Center (Department of Planning and Investment) of Bac Kan, said that the province places great emphasis on projects related to agriculture and forestry. At present, the center is actively assisting and guiding important partners and businesses in examining and choosing investment sites. In addition, the center aggressively promotes the image, potential, and benefits of investment-attracting projects, with a specific focus on agricultural and forestry initiatives, to both local and international investors.