In 2023, fish cage farming has continued to recover after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. With advantages in sale, fish cage farming has brought a fair source of income to thousands of households, especially those residing around Hoa Binh reservoir.
This year, fish cage farming on Hoa Binh reservoir develops stably with good consumption.
Tien Phong is one of the communes of Da Bac district where fish cage farming has been developing vigorously. Currently, there are about 800 fish cages with 400 local households engaged in farming. After experiencing many difficulties due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the two past years (2022 - 2023), fish cage farming households in Tien Phong commune have actively restored production and product consumption. In particular, the establishment of Da Giang Eco Cooperative in the commune has helped promote product supply and consumption linkages.
Xa Ngoc Hung, the cooperative’s director, said it currently has seven official members and 90 affiliated households. When the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the country, its products were unsold, but the consumption of the fish has been much more favourable over the past two years. At present, farmed fish is sold well, particularly specialty fish such as ca lang (hemibagrus wyckii) are sought after.
To develop fish cage farming stably and sustainably, the cooperative has signed contracts with farming households to purchase fish at market prices, he said.
The cooperative is aiming for intensively processed fish products instead of selling fresh fish as before, he said, adding that this suits the needs of customers and is convenient for transportation, thus improving product values, Hung noted.
In 2023, the Da Giang Eco Cooperative had three products rated as three-star under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme, namely Da River black ca lang (hemibagrus wyckii), Da River black ca tram (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and Da River ca nganh (Cranoglanis sinensis).
Da Bac district has 143ha under aquaculture and 2,060 fish cages, concentrating in Hien Luong, Vay Nua and Tien Phong and other communes.
Bui Khac Vinh, Head of the district’s Division of Agriculture and Rural Development, said in 2023, the protection of aquatic resources has been strengthened and the use of electric shock, explosives, and toxic chemicals to exploit aquatic resources has decreased significantly. Fish cage farmers have paid attention to managing the farming environment and implementing measures to prevent farmed fish from diseases. The district has focused on promoting consumption linkages to develop sustainable fish cage farming and bring high economic efficiency.
Hoa Binh province has a fish farming area of 2,695ha with nearly 5,000 cages. It has built trademarks for fish and shrimp of Da River, which have been certified by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam. The province has set up three product consumption chains in Hoa Binh city, Da Bac district and Tan Lac - Mai Chau, thereby helping to improve the value of Da River’s fish and shrimp as well as expanding product consumption markets.
Hoang Van Son, Director of the provincial Sub-department of Fisheries, said to develop sustainable aquaculture, in the coming time, the sector will continue to restructure fishery and speed up the application of new technology to fishery activities to diversify products. It will also promote research, transfer and application of scientific and technical advances with priority given to high technology and new advanced scientific and technological solutions.
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.
