(HBO) – The mountainous district of Da Bac is now in the harvest time of the spring rice crop. Since this crop, farmers in the communes of Muong Chieng, Dong Chum, Doan Ket and Tan Pheo have gained more momentum as J02, the local rice speciality, was given the collective trademark certificate.
Farmers in Nhap hamlet of Dong Chum commune (Da Bac district) harvest
the J02 spring rice crop, which generates 6 tonnes of paddy per ha.
The variety has been grown on a trial basis in
Da Bac since 2015. Muong Chieng commune was the first locality to cultivate
this Japanese-origin variety, which was imported and selected by the
Agricultural Genetics Institute.
Right in the first crop, this variety showed
outstanding strengths. In particular, though it is grown in various areas
nationwide like Phu Tho, Hai Duong and Hai Phong, the J02 rice in Da Bac tastes
much better than the one farmed in other localities, which is attributable to
the local mountainous terrain that creates high day-night temperature
difference – an ideal condition for the J02 variety that prefers cold weather.
J02 is currently cultivated on a large scale in
the communes of Dong Chum (15ha), Muong Chieng (40ha), Tan Pheo (10ha), Giap Dat
(10ha), and Doan Ket (25ha), with the annual farming area of over 250ha and an
output of 6 tonnes per ha each crop.
In 2020, the Da Bac Farmers’ Union has provided
the right to use the collective trademark for 11 farming households and
production and business establishments in the district.
Consumers now can recognise the J02 rice of Da
Bac via its specific package and logo. Local authorities are also stepping up
advertising and expanding the distribution network for the speciality,
including groceries, rice stores, traditional markets, and minimarts in densely
populated areas in Hoa Binh province and Hanoi.
A recent survey showed that consumers have
certain preference for the J02 rice of Da Bac. Up to 52.5 percent of the
respondents in Hoa Binh city said they use this kind of rice. In Hanoi, this
was also the opinion of 68 percent of the consumers interviewed in Hoang Mai
district, 56 percent in Ha Dong district, 66 percent in Dong Da district, and
82 percent in Hai Ba Trung district./.
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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