Granting cultivation area codes opens doors for Ba Ria - Vung Tau agricultural products to reach further. The issuance of cultivation area codes - identification numbers for a production area can be seen as the "key" to unlock opportunities for agricultural products to expand into the global market. On July 7, 2022, the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province issued document number 7946/UBND-VP to enhance the management of cultivation area codes and agricultural product packaging facilities for export. This is a fundamental solution to promote the export of high-quality fresh fruit products from Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province to international markets.
The cultivation area code is a necessary condition for Vietnamese agricultural products in general and those of Ba Ria - Vung Tau in particular to be exported to the international market. This is a requirement of importing markets to trace the origin of products and control the quality of cultivation areas more effectively. Regulations regarding cultivation areas, cultivation processes, processing and packaging procedures, and source tracing are requirements of major importing markets such as China, the United States, the European Union, and more. All cultivation areas assigned with codes must adhere to good agricultural practices, maintain cultivation records for source tracing, control pests, and not violate regulations on pesticide residues of the importing country. Recently, Ba Ria - Vung Tau has focused on assigning cultivation area codes to major fruit crops with export potential. Currently, there are 08 cultivation areas and 02 packaging facilities for export products in the province that have been assigned codes. Firstly, for the Chinese export market: There are 03 cultivation area codes covering an area of 420.9 hectares in Xuyen Moc and Chau Duc districts. Among these, the lychee cultivation area covers 13.9 hectares with an estimated annual output of 291.9 tons, and the banana cultivation area covers 407.12 hectares with an estimated output of 16,280 tons of bananas per year, which are currently exported to the Chinese and Korean markets. These export codes are owned by entities such as the Nhan Tam Agricultural Services Cooperative, Nochy Trading Company, and Thong Nhat Rubber Corporation. Secondly, for the US and Australian export markets: There are 02 lychee cultivation area codes covering 24 hectares in Xuyen Moc district, with an estimated annual output of 502.1 tons. These codes are owned by Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Company Limited. Thirdly, for the EU export market: There are 03 pomelo cultivation area codes covering 50 hectares in Phu My town, with an estimated annual output of 1,000 tons. These codes are owned by establishments such as Kim Long Organic Pomelo Farm, Hoang Long 1 Pomelo Farm, and Hoang Long 2 Pomelo Farm.
Currently, there are 02 packaging facilities for banana exports covering an area of 5,167 square meters in Xuyen Moc and Chau Duc districts, exporting bananas to the Chinese and Korean markets. On October 17th, in Hanoi, the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) held a ceremony to announce the plant quarantine requirements for pomelos exported to the United States, following the decision of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow the import of fresh Vietnamese pomelos into their market from October 4th, 2022. In Ba Ria - Vung Tau, to prepare for the export of fresh pomelos to the US market, the application for cultivation area codes in 04 pomelo cultivation areas for export to the US market (including Kim Long Organic Pomelo Farm, Hoang Long 1 Pomelo Farm, Hoang Long 2 Pomelo Farm, and Song Xoai Green Peel Pomelo) owned by Mr. Truong Van Ut and Mr. Ho Hoang Kha in Phu My town, with a total area of 68 hectares, has met the standards for establishing and monitoring cultivation area codes as specified in TCCS 774:2020/PPV. In the coming time, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection will continue to establish, manage, and propose cultivation area codes for rambutan and dragon fruit; expand the proposed cultivation area codes for lychee exports in Xuyen Moc district. The total number of cultivation area codes for dragon fruit in Xuyen Moc district is currently in the process of completing the registration for 06 cultivation area codes, covering a total area of 80 hectares, with an estimated annual output of around 600 tons and an estimated export volume of 500 tons per year. Organizations currently registering cultivation area codes for dragon fruit exports include Saurieng 9B Cooperative (located in Song Xoai 02 village, Lang Lon commune, Chau Duc district) with an area of 20 hectares, and the dragon fruit cultivation area in Xa Bang commune, Chau Duc district, with an area of 60 hectares.
In accordance with the guidance in document number 7946/UBND-VP dated July 7, 2022, of the Provincial People's Committee regarding strengthening the management of cultivation area codes and packaging facilities for agricultural exports, the agriculture sector, in collaboration with local authorities, will enhance inspections of the management and use of cultivation area codes, promote the formation of product value chains linked to cultivation areas with exporting entities, and closely control the quality of exported goods, preventing non-origin products from entering the product chain.
