Promoting Export of Agricultural Products

In recent years, the Tien Giang agricultural sector has made constant growth to retain its largest contribution to the local GDP. In 2009, the agricultural production value reached VND8,601 billion, accounting for 48.3 percent of the province's GDP. Of this number, cultivation generated VND5,921 billion, animal husbandry made up VND1,057 billion and fisheries fetched VND1,624 billion. Rice production is the most important economic activity with an annual output of some 1.3 million tonnes. The province also keeps over 67,000 ha of fruit trees, which are forecast to bear 1 million tonnes of fruit a year. Tien Giang is known as the kingdom of fruit in Vietnam, with a variety of specialty fruits like Hoa Loc sweet mango, Co Co pomelo, Cho Gao dragon fruit, Go Cong acerola, Ngu Hiep durian, Vinh Kim Lo Ren star apple and Tan Phuoc pineapple. With its developed husbandry, Tien Giang is rearing nearly 6 million fowls and over 615,000 head of livestock (including nearly 550,000 pigs). Husbandry is a channel for farmers to escape poverty and get rich. Aquaculture, commercial fishing and aquatic processing are also provincial strengths, with total annual output of about 186,000 tonnes and export revenue of US$261 million (in 2009), accounting for more than 50 percent of the province’s export earnings.

 

Determining its potential and advantages, the province has focused on reviewing, planning and orienting intensive rice and fruit cultivation on the basis of exploiting local potential and advantages toward sustainable development. Highly valued commercial rice is mainly produced in Cai Lay and Cai Be districts. The province also established an intensive pineapple growing area in Tan Phuoc district, dragon fruit in Cho Gao district, durian in Cai Lay district, star apple in Chau Thanh district, and Hoa Loc mango in Cai Be district. It also planned areas for culturing pangasius catfish for export along the Tien River, and clams and molluscs in Go Cong area. The province is planning livestock and poultry development.

In parallel with reviewing and planning production activities, the Tien Giang agricultural sector has strengthened technical guidance, transferring modern technologies and international standards to farmers, including Globalgap, VIETGAP, Gap and SQF 1000CM. The province has attained the Globalgap certificate for its 7 hectares of Lo Ren star apples in Vinh Kim district and is expanding this model to some 100 hectares of star apples in Chau Thanh and Cai Lay districts. 12 hectares of rice in My Thanh district have also been certified with Globalgap. Tien Giang is multiplying this process to 160 hectares in some communes in Cai Lay, Cai Be and Go Cong Tay districts. The VIETGAP certificate has been granted for 30 hectares of pineapples in Tan Phuoc district and this process is being applied on dragon fruits in Cho Gao and Hoa Loc mango at Cai Be district. SGS Company was granted the SQF 1000CM certificate to 25 hectares of pangasius in Hoa Hung district.

 

Together with guiding farmers to apply modern technologies and sciences to production to improve the quality of agricultural commodities, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tien Giang province has closely coordinated with the Department of Science and Technology in instructing farmers to build up brands and trade names for their commodities. At present, the province has 10 agricultural products certified by the National Office of Intellectual Property, including Hoa Loc mango, Co Co pomelo, Ngu Hiep durian, Vinh Kim Lo Ren star apple, Tan Phuoc pineapple, dragon Cho Gao, Go Cong acerola, My Thanh rice, Cho Gao sticky rice and Go Cong watermelon. Especially, in 2009, Hoa Loc mango of Tien Giang was granted the geographical indication protection. The agricultural sector of Tien Giang province is continuing to build trade names for other agricultural products, while raising quality and expanding marketing activities to gain a stronger market foothold for its products.