Enhancing the Value of Agricultural Products under VietGAP Standards

In line with the policy of restructuring the agricultural sector in association with building advanced new rural areas, many cooperatives in the province have actively developed productionmodels that meet quality standards, thereby creating jobs and increasing incomes for local residents. Among them, the Lien Hoa Chi Production and Business Cooperative in Phung Nguyen commune stands out with its Hong Sam Lotus Leaf Tea, produced under VietGAP standards, gradually affirming its position in both domestic and international markets.

Inspecting product quality before market distribution

The Lien Hoa Chi Production and Business Cooperative was established in 2022, at a time when the locality was strongly promoting the shift toward commodity-oriented agricultural production to increase the value of farm products. Recognizing the potential of the lotus—a traditional plant well-suited to the local climate and soil—the cooperative chose lotus as its key crop to build raw material areas and develop herbal health care products imbued with cultural identity.

From its early days of operation, the cooperative focused on building clean raw material zones with organic practices, ensuring compliance with VietGAP production standards. To date, the cooperative has developed a 5-hectare lotus cultivation area, applying advanced techniques from land preparation, seed selection, and care to harvesting and processing. The selected lotus varieties provide consistent quality in leaves, flowers, and seeds, meeting the requirements for herbal tea production. Cooperative members cultivate in contiguous clusters, using organic fertilizers and biological plant protection products in accordance with regulations to protect the environment, ensure healthy plant growth with fewer pests and diseases, and achieve high yields.

In addition to securing its raw material supply, the cooperative has invested in upgrading its modern tea processing system. The introduction of a cold-drying facility combined with solar drying technology helps retain the medicinal properties and natural flavor of the product. Each drying batch can process

120–180 kilograms of raw material, ensuring stable market supply. The processing and packaging area is scientifically arranged to meet food safety and hygiene criteria, while production equipment and waste are properly treated to maintain a clean and safe working environment.

According to Comrade Han Van Thong, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the Lien Hoa Chi Production and Business Cooperative, with its proactive raw material supply, the cooperative currently provides stable employment for more than 10 local workers, with an average monthly income ranging from VND 5 to 10 million per person. Participation in the cooperative has helped raise awareness among farmers about safe production practices, gradually shifting from small-scale production to value-chain-oriented production. The cooperative’s Hong Sam Lotus Leaf Tea has been certified as a 3-star OCOP product and assigned QR codes for origin tracing, ensuring transparency from production to consumption.

At present, the cooperative’s Hong Sam Lotus Leaf Tea is available in many provinces and cities nationwide and has begun to penetrate international markets such as China, Greece, and the United States, with an annual output of about 60,000 boxes. Besides Hong Sam Lotus Leaf Tea, the cooperative has also expanded to other herbal tea lines such as Perilla Tea, Centella Tea, Celery Tea, and Fish Mint Tea, aiming for OCOP certification to meet the increasingly diverse demands of consumers.

Thanh Nga