Promote deep processing to increase the value of agricultural products

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - With its own potential and advantages, Thanh Hoa province has developed about 200 agricultural products, including 12 key product groups. In recent years, the province has been encouraging localities to build concentrated agricultural production areas associated with processing and consuming agricultural products according to the value chain. At the same time, there are mechanisms and policies to support and attract businesses to invest in the agricultural sector, especially the processing sector, contributing to increasing the value and competitiveness of agricultural products.

Production of An Nhien lotus root starch products at Mr. Tran Van Dung's household in Yen Dinh commune.

After a period of research, realizing that the locality had potential to develop lotus cultivation, in 2018, Mr. Tran Van Dung in Hoach Thon village, Dinh Tang commune (old), now Yen Dinh commune, decided to convert 2 hectares of his family's rice fields to lotus cultivation. Not only growing according to the traditional method, Mr. Dung learned, accumulated knowledge and invested in installing a closed-loop production machinery system including 8 machines of various types: slicing machine; root crusher; fine grinder; leaf and root dryer; vacuum machine; tea roaster; powder dryer; lotus root harvester; and at the same time repaired the factory area to ensure food hygiene and safety.

Currently, his family has produced the following products: fresh vacuum-packed lotus root, lotus root tea, lotus root powder and lotus leaf tea under the An Nhien Farm brand. Investing in installing a closed-loop production line and deep processing has helped increase the value of the product compared to selling it raw as before. Thanks to that, his family has a lotus root powder product that has been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

When the An Nhien Farm brand became known to consumers in and outside the province, Mr. Dung cooperated with a number of households in Tho Xuan and Vinh Loc districts (old) to supply production seeds and purchase all quality products such as flowers, lotus shoots, lotus roots, etc. for the people. Up to now, after more than 6 years of production, Mr. Dung has expanded the lotus growing area to nearly 50 hectares.

In the past 10 years, the Thang Long rice vermicelli brand has become familiar not only to people in the province, but also a strong brand in the market. This is the main product of the Thang Long Rice Vermicelli Production Service Cooperative, Thang Binh Commune. The Cooperative was established in 2019, with 37 official members and production links with hundreds of local members. In order to create jobs for workers and develop traditional occupations, the Cooperative promotes the processing of rice and rice into vermicelli products with the 4-star OCOP brand.

Talking about the effectiveness of developing rice-processed products, Director of Thang Long Rice Vermicelli Production Service Cooperative Truong Huu Hoa said: “Since being recognized as a 4-star OCOP product at the provincial level, the Thang Long rice vermicelli brand has become more and more known. On average, each month, the cooperative supplies the market with nearly 100 tons of products. We not only strongly develop the traditional profession, but also use it as one of the forms of deep processing to boost consumption and increase the value of local rice products.”

It is known that, in order to form a stable and quality source of raw materials for processing, Thang Long rice vermicelli production service cooperative has cooperated with agricultural service cooperatives inside and outside the commune to plan a growing area of ​​240 hectares of Khang Dan and Kim Cuong 98 rice varieties, ensuring a sufficient supply of 1,400 tons of raw rice. Thanks to that, the cooperative creates stable and regular jobs for hundreds of workers with an average income of 6 to 8 million VND/person/month.

According to statistics, Thanh Hoa province currently has about 1,400 enterprises investing in the agricultural sector. Of these, there are about 250 enterprises and cooperatives processing and trading forestry products; 30 enterprises processing agricultural products, 80 enterprises processing aquatic and seafood products. Along with that, hundreds of households, cooperatives, and production facility owners have also responded and invested in the processing stage to diversify agricultural products, develop markets, and improve economic efficiency for agricultural production.

Production reality shows that deep processing and refined processing are not only fundamental solutions to increase the efficiency of agricultural production as well as people's income, but also to build a professional and modern production. Therefore, the province has been encouraging enterprises and cooperatives to shift towards deep processing and refined processing, contributing to the formation and development of the agricultural processing industry in the direction of linking the value chain from production - processing - consumption stages, building quality products, high added value, aiming at the export market.

Article and photos: Le Thanh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/day-manh-che-bien-sau-nbsp-de-nang-cao-gia-tri-nong-san-258977.htm