Gia Lai develops raw material export areas

Many potentials and advantages

Gia Lai has rare natural advantages: fertile red basalt soil, mild highland climate, stable rainfall. These are ideal conditions for growing high-value export crops such as coffee, durian, passion fruit, banana, pepper, cashew nuts and coconut. Many local businesses have built concentrated raw material areas, ranging from tens to thousands of hectares in size, meeting VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards and are aiming for official export standards.

Not only cultivation, businesses also invest in preliminary processing, preservation and deep processing, creating a closed value chain from farm to market. This is a solid foundation to meet increasingly strict requirements from partners on product quality, traceability and stability.

One of the highlights of Gia Lai enterprises is the ability to quickly adapt to market fluctuations. Instead of producing according to habit, many units have switched to the model of "production to order", which means researching foreign market demand, from types, seasons to technical standards, and then organizing production.

Nowadays, Gia Lai enterprises do not operate alone but build sustainable links with farmers through contracts for consumption, technical support, input supply and training. The model of “farmers’ land - enterprises’ technology” is being implemented in many communes, helping people feel secure in production, while enterprises can proactively source qualified raw materials.

Ms. Vo Thi Tuyet Ha, Deputy General Director of Truong Sinh International Science Development Company Limited (Truong Sinh Group) said that we have applied herbal solutions to aquaculture to create organic products, increasing export value in the world market.

In addition, we are also working with farmers to help them produce high-value medicinal plants, helping to develop the economy of the Central Highlands in general and Gia Lai province in particular. Therefore, we hope to cooperate in research and training of personnel to be more pioneers in the production of medicinal plants, thereby creating better products for Vietnamese consumers in the future.

Applying technology and making the production chain transparent

Currently, some pioneering enterprises have applied digital technology to manage growing areas, using QR codes to trace origins, monitoring by cameras and AI, from seed selection to harvesting. This not only helps increase trust with Chinese partners but also improves management efficiency, reduces risks and increases productivity.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Diem Hang, Chairwoman of Vietnam Organic Nutrition Food Joint Stock Company (Vinanutrifood) said that our company has 13 years of experience exporting agricultural products to China . In that process, the vital factor is to understand the market, predict demand and make the entire production chain transparent.

For many years, we have cooperated with Chinese customs to analyze data on output, prices, and consumption trends. From there, they proactively adjust production plans, avoiding the situation of "good harvest, low price" or "bad harvest, high price". We do not export based on emotions. Every product is analyzed using big data, from e-commerce platforms such as JD.com, WeChat to the Chinese customs system, Ms. Hang shared.

Each product has a QR code attached, allowing traceability from the growing area, plant varieties, fertilizers to the farmer’s health. For crops such as durian, coffee, or livestock, the system also stores growth charts and product birth certificates.

Gia Lai is considered a land with rich agricultural potential with key products such as durian, coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, and coconut. In particular, the advantage of off-season with China helps Gia Lai agricultural products have a favorable time for export. However, to meet the strict requirements of the market, the management of raw material areas is mandatory.

Therefore, many businesses have cooperated with farmers to build large raw material areas, replacing small-scale fields with concentrated fields. The company invests in machinery, technology and signs long-term contracts of 30-50 years with farmers, ensuring a stable income of 300-500 million VND/year. "The land belongs to the farmers, but all the technology belongs to the business. We are committed to long-term cooperation, creating sustainable value for both sides," said Ms. Hang.

Currently, many businesses are moving towards a model of deep cooperation with the people. Not only providing seeds, fertilizers or techniques, they also support capital, training and monitoring with technology. People are guided to cultivate according to standard processes, with a camera system and AI monitoring right from the planting stage.

The goal of businesses is not to export a lot, but to export sustainably. That requires transparency, management of raw material areas and close connection between businesses-farmers-management agencies. At the same time, applying technology helps businesses be more proactive in predicting market demand, adjusting output and optimizing costs.

“We do not go alone. We go with farmers, with technology and with the belief that Vietnamese agricultural products can completely conquer the international market,” Ms. Hang affirmed.

With the expectation of piloting 1,000 hectares of high-tech raw material areas being promoted, from which the model will be replicated throughout the province, this is a step to ensure stable output, consistent quality and meet export standards.