Integrate multi-value to spread the Hai Duong carrot brand

On February 15^th, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and Secretary of the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee Pham Xuan Thang attended the 2022 Carrot Harvest Festival and cut the export ribbon for the first new year carrot container of Ameii Vietnam Joint Stock Company in Duc Chinh commune, Cam Giang district.

Minister Le Minh Hoan said that Hai Duong is doing a very good job in changing from agricultural production thinking to agricultural economy thinking. In his opinion, agricultural production only creates carrots, but agricultural economics creates the story of how that carrot brings out the greatest possible added value. Agricultural economic thinking is to help farmers make a fortune from the same output.

“In order to do so, we need to activate many values that exist unnoticed in the past such as processing, creating a product system rich in diversity and convenient in use to serve consumers. More than just eating, people can drink and supplement their daily menu with a variety of products," said the head of the agriculture industry.

From the first festival in 2022, Mr. Le Minh Hoan stated that this event can expand on a larger scale, spreading to many more localities and many Hai Duong products such as onions, garlic, and guava. These intangible and limitless values are things that localities and farmers can together develop for their agro-products.

“Things that are out in the open eyes like land, productivity, and output will eventually reach their limit. By what must we grow crops in then? It’s exactly thanks to these intangible and limitless values that we can create new things from available agro-products,” said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development with Hai Duong farmers.

Minister Le Minh Hoan also suggested another development direction. Hai Duong can develop agrotourism based on the green carrot fields, creating beautiful landscapes. Duc Chinh commune can be taken as a prime example.

“Because when tourism is developed, tourists’ yearning for local agricultural products and specialties will slowly activate. They are also the ones who will spread the words and introduce local specialties to many other people around them.”

People will no longer have to feel alone while standing amidst the field anymore. There will be many tourists coming from both inside and outside the country. Promotion for exchange and learning is bound to happen. "Hai Duong people will share their stories and culture to the tourists, and with the participation of the media, we can spread the name of local product brands."

Secretary of Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee Pham Xuan Thang expressed his gratitude towards Minister Le Minh Hoan for sharing new mindset, perspective and inspiration to Hai Duong agricultural workers. He said, "The 2022 Carrot Harvest Festival, despite being held for the first time, has had its influence spread far and wide. This event wouldn’t be possible without the suggestion of Minister Le Minh Hoan.”

Mr. Pham Xuan Thang emphasized that Hai Duong must change its thinking from production which only output matters to production that integrate multi-value and add value to agricultural products. Hai Duong must constantly think and think hard about the next directions for its agricultural products like the question "What then?" mentioned by Minister Le Minh Hoan.

According to Hai Duong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province's carrot growing area is approximately 1,600 ha, reaching an output of over 80,000 tons/year. The year 2022 is the first year the Carrot Harvest Festival of Hai Duong province is held to spread the name for this agricultural product brand.

The majority of Hai Duong carrots are produced safely according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, thus resulting in 80% of the output being preliminarily processed and exported to various markets.