Mastering raw material areas, a foundation for sustainable development

HNN - As the raw material market becomes increasingly unpredictable, many enterprises in Hue City have chosen the strategy of investing in raw material areas as the "hard core" in development. Not only ensuring product quality, proactively sourcing raw materials also helps enterprises control costs, improve competitiveness and move towards sustainable exports.

Being proactive in raw material areas, Cong Thanh Investment and Development Joint Stock Company is proactive in production lines.

Create strength

On the agricultural lands of Phong Dien Town, gardens of Melaleuca, Solanum procumbens, Mint... are planted to cover the land. This is the result of many years of systematic investment by Cong Thanh Investment and Development Joint Stock Company. Not only serving the production of essential oils and medicinal herbs, this raw material area is also a strategic step to help businesses "stand on their own two feet".

“We are proactive from planting to extraction and testing. Controlling the entire chain allows businesses to maintain quality and product consistency, despite fluctuations in market demand,” said Ms. Hoang Thi Ngoc Ly, Executive Director of Cong Thanh Investment and Development Joint Stock Company. The company currently has three factories producing products from cajuput oil, peppermint, etc. with a closed chain, operating according to strict quality standards.

Not only investing by itself, the company also cooperates with local people to expand raw material areas, transfer standard planting and harvesting techniques. The unit coordinates with the Department of Science and Technology (KH&CN) to implement research projects to develop indigenous medicinal plants, apply technology to production, aiming for products that meet national and international standards.

“Mastering the raw material area helps us avoid dependence on the market, and take the initiative in both input and output quality. This is the foundation for businesses to grow revenue steadily and reach export,” Ms. Ly affirmed.

“Being proactive in raw material areas means having 50% of competitive advantage,” Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Deputy Director of Hichagol Production, Trade and Service Company Limited shared confidently. With that mindset, the company has chosen the path of specializing in red artichoke cultivation as a foundation for sustainable development.

From the initial 200m² of land for growing red artichokes, the company has expanded the raw material area to dozens of hectares, basically meeting the raw material needs for all current production activities. The company's products, from tea bags, syrups, jams to natural cosmetics, are all processed from this plant.

Focusing on a key crop helps businesses easily control quality from varieties, care techniques to harvest time. Red artichokes are grown organically, without the use of chemicals, helping to preserve the best color and active ingredients for deep processing.

“Mastering raw materials is the way for us to take the initiative in the market, position the value of our products and gradually bring our brand further and further,” Ms. Hien emphasized. Currently, the company is promoting procedures to build product standards and gradually expand the national and international markets.

Activating the value chain

Not only stopping at a few typical models, many enterprises in Hue city are also making efforts to build and expand raw material areas for production. Typically, SBC Hoang Gia Co., Ltd., Ana Bird's Nest with concentrated farming areas in Tam Giang lagoon, Hue Bird's Nest Production Co., Ltd. Anna... all invest in raw material areas to be proactive in production.

The trend of “mastering from the root” is chosen by many pharmaceutical and functional food enterprises to reduce dependence on the external raw material market, especially in the context of fluctuating input prices and quality. This is also a way for enterprises to “retain” demanding customers, gradually approaching high-end markets.

Ms. Ho Nhat Phuong, Director of CBS Hoang Gia Company Limited said: “When we grow, extract and package ourselves, we can control the quality of the products at every stage. This helps us feel confident when introducing our products at international fairs, as well as approaching large domestic distributors.”

Recognizing the efforts of the business community, the authorities in Hue, especially the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Agriculture and Environment, have proactively organized many seminars and training courses on transferring techniques for cultivation, preliminary processing, and preservation of medicinal herbs and agricultural products. Policies to support the construction of raw material areas according to standards, guidance on technology application, and output connections have also been implemented synchronously.

According to the representative of the Department of Science and Technology, the current orientation is to help businesses form concentrated raw material areas that meet VietGAP standards, thereby creating a closed value chain for deep processing and export.

In addition, trade promotion programs, trade connections, and specialized fairs also create conditions for businesses to introduce products, connect stable outputs, and expand markets. "When businesses control raw material areas, they not only control quality but also shape their own brands, which is very important in long-term development strategies," said a representative of the Department of Science and Technology.

Article and photos: HAI THUAN

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/lam-chu-vung-nguyen-lieu-be-do-cho-phat-trien-ben-vung-154628.html