The Cao Phong orange has emerged as a shining example of sustainable agricultural development in Hoa Binh province, distinguished as the first and only locally produced agricultural product to receive a geographical indication certification. Renowned for its thin skin, juicy flesh, and delicate sweet flavour, the fruit has won the heart of consumers for years. Local farmers have made their efforts to cultivate environmentally friendly and consumer-safe products, creating a stable and sustainable brand identity.
Nguyen Van Truong, a farmer in De hamlet, Bac Phong commune, visits his orange orchard.
Nguyen Van Truong, a farmer from De hamlet in Bac Phong commune, represents the pinnacle of this agricultural ethos. His 17-year-old orange orchard stands as a testament to safe cultivation practices. Truong invested more than 600 million VND (over 23,600 USD) in land improvement, irrigational system, and fertiliser for sustainable plantation practices.
Grown under VietGAP standards, Cao Phong orange boats exceptional taste and ensure absolute consumer safety. Although the method may reduce overall yield as compared to traditional techniques, it is a strategic choice for many farmers who want to maintain, preserve and develop local orange brand.
Agricultural cooperatives have strictly complied with clean orange cultivation over the recent past. Notably, 3TFarm has converted more than 20 hectares of orange plantations to VietGAP standards, committing to supplying the market with environmentally-friendly and safe products.
Cao Phong district is now home to over 715 hectares of oranges. It expects to harvest 20,348 tonnes of the fruit this crop, enjoying an average yield of 302 quintals per hectare.
While only 172 hectares are currently certified under VietGAP, all of the orange plantations are using biological compounds and microbial fertilisers to create safe, high-quality, and ecologically responsible agricultural products.
According to Vice Chairman of the district People’s Committee Bui Hoai Nhi, along with improving the fruit’s quality, the district has paid due regard to protecting and developing its orange brand through the careful selection of seedling varieties, management over production process, and establishment of traceability system, among others.
Besides, the locality has invested in concentrated plantation infrastructure and supported local producers to obtain food safety certifications.
Once a mountainous province facing many challenges, Hoa Binh has, after more than a decade of implementing the national target programme on new-style rural area development, emerged as a bright spot in Vietnam’s northern midland and mountainous region. In the first quarter of 2025, the province recorded positive results, paving the way for Hoa Binh to enter a phase of accelerated growth with a proactive and confident mindset.
Hoa Binh province is steadily advancing its agricultural sector through the adoption of high-tech solutions, seen as a sustainable path for long-term development.
The steering committee for key projects of Hoa Binh province convened on May 14 to assess the progress of major ongoing developments
A delegation of Hoa Binh province has attended the "Meet Korea 2025" event, recently held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, and the People's Committee of Hung Yen province.
Hoa Binh province joined Vietnam’s national "One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme in 2019, not simply as a mountainous region following central policy, but with a clear vision to revive the cultural and agricultural values in its villages and crops.
From just 16 certified products in its inaugural year to 158 by early 2025, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme in Hoa Binh province has followed a steady and strategic path. But beyond the numbers, it has reawakened local heritage, turning oranges, bamboo shoots, brocade, and herbal remedies into branded, market-ready goods - and, more profoundly, transformed how local communities value and present their own cultural identity.
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