(HBO) – In late November, Muong Bi commune in Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province, yielded a bumper grapefruit crop with stable prices. The happiness doubled when the Tan Lac red-flesh grapefruit was recognised as a collective mark. This has opened up huge opportunities to promote local products and made significant contributions to shifting crop structure in combination with new-style rural area building.

Tan Lac
red-flesh grapefruit receives collective mark, affirming its own brand
Red-flesh
grapefruit is a traditional tree of Tan Lac district. It was brought by Mr. Nam
Hon to grow in Dong Tien hamlet from the 1960-1970s. The fruit tree is suitable
with the local soil and climate so it has a delicious taste.
Recognising the
potential and strength of this variety, Tan Lac district has issued a
resolution on developing a commercial grapefruit area in 2013-2020 with
specific measures such as supporting farmers in promoting intensive farming and
technology application. About 4-5 years ago, the district had only 100 hectares
of grapefruit, but now the area increases to over 900 hectares, one third of
which have been harvested, mainly in communes along the National Highway 12B
such as Dong Lai, Thanh Hoi, Tu Ne and Man Duc.
The red-flesh grapefruit
is considered the tree with the highest economic efficiency so far, bringing in
steady revenue of 4-5 million VND per tree per year. It is possible to grow 200
trees per hectare. Each tree could produce 150-200 fruits with the current
prices of 20,000-30,000 VND per fruit. Income from grapefruit could reach
500-700 million VND per hectare, even 1 billion VND per hectare in some
households. Some households could rake in nearly one billion VND per hectare.
This year, many families grow only 40 trees but have over 10,000 fruits,
grossing hundreds of millions of VND. These days, customers from Hanoi, Hai
Duong, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An have come to buy grapefruits at the
gardens.
Authorities and
people in Tan Lac have been aware of building and preserving the red-flesh
grapefruit brand. Many cooperative groups have been set up to implement safety
production procedures following the Good Agriculture Practice (VietGap).
Particularly, Dong Lai commune has dozens of hectares of VietGap grapefruit
The district
strives to have nearly 1,200 hectares of red-flesh grapefruit by 2020. It is
taking measures to improve management of the fruit’s quality and guiding people
to grow grapefruit to ensure food safety and hygiene. At the same time, the
district is creating a value chain from cultivation to sales of products and
promoting the brand of the Tan Lac red-flesh grapefruit.
Dao Village’s honey – a product certified with a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) rating by Thong Nhat Agricultural Cooperative in Dao Village (Hoa Binh City) – is highly regarded by consumers for its quality, richness, and variety in packaging. The distinctively sweet taste of Dao Village’s honey leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has tried it.
In alignment with Project No. 07-DA/TU, issued by the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on November 1, 2021, Lac Thuy district has actively promoted investment and supported the sustainable development of its industrial and handicraft sectors during the 2021–2025 period. Alongside this, the district has remained committed to preserving and revitalising traditional craft villages.
Located in the northern part of Lac Thuy district, with a temperate climate and fertile soil, Phu Thanh commune has great potential and advantages in growing tea. The long-standing experience, combined with strict adherence to organic farming practices in the tea gardens, ensures that the dried tea products from Phu Thanh and Lac Thuy as a whole are sold out immediately upon production, providing a stable and prosperous life for the local people.
Amid efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus, Hoa Binh province has intensified measures to address challenges in land clearance, resettlement support, and infrastructure investment, aiming to speed up the progress of key projects.
Hoa Binh province has posted an unprecedented economic growth rate of 12.76% in the first quarter of 2025, marking its highest quarterly performance to date and positioning it as the second fastest-growing locality in the country, trailing only Bac Giang province.
Under current regulations, products in the One Commune – One Product (OCOP) programme that are rated three stars or higher must undergo re-evaluation every three months. However, in reality, some of these products fail to consistently meet the required standards, raising concerns about the sustainability of their OCOP certification. This underscores the urgent need for producers to enhance product quality and gradually develop their OCOP products into strong, marketable brands.