(HBO) – Tan Lac district in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh is working to remove bottlenecks for safe vegetable production as it has not yet set up any clean vegetable store.

Popularising local products at organic agricultural fairs is considered as the initial
step of Tan Lac district to seek consumption markets for its vegetables.
The
first safe vegetable cultivation cooperative group was set up in Sung hamlet,
Thanh Hoi commune, which focuses on growing seasonal crops with main vegetables
such as mustard greens, amaranth, aubergine, wax gourd, and cucumber.
According to head of the cooperative group Bui Van Thuan, the cooperative group
has been operational in four years, and some 2-3 hectares of land were zoned
off for plantation of safe vegetables. However, they are being sold at the same
prices as those without clear origin.
Thuan attributed the results to the fact that the vegetables have not been put
into the value chain, and they have no brand registration for consumers to
compare.
About 8-10 years ago, the mountainous communes of Quyet Chien, Ngo Luong, Lung
Van and Nam Son successfully expanded chayote plantation with the support of
the provincial Department of Science and Technology. Currently, chayote is
being grown in an area of nearly 95 hectares, 60 hectares of which are in Quyet
Chien commune. Particularly, there are 25 hectares in the commune receiving
VietGAP certification.
Local efforts in promoting good agricultural practice, building brands and
developing markets have paid off. Quyet Chien chayote has ridden out of the
shade of the same vegetable in Vinh Phuc province’s Tam Dao district, and has
been favoured by consumers after hitting the shelves of supermarkets in Hanoi.
In addition, thanks to favourable climate,
farmers in Tan Lac’s mountainous communes have developed non-traditional crops
such as tomato, cabbage and Korean beet on an area of 5 hectares./.
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.