Hai Duong preserves quality of export carrot regions

Most carrot growing regions follow VietGAP, meeting export requirements of even demanding markets like European countries

This crop, the carrot growing area in Duc Chinh commune, Cam Giang district, has been expanded from 360 ha to nearly 400 ha, including zones previously specializing in rice cultivation. Farmers bought alluvial from other places to improve soil for carrots to grow well.

At present, VietGAP is being applied to all carrot growing regions in the commune, with 80 ha meeting the standard, up 20 ha over the previous crop.

By mid-October, farmers in the province had grown about 1.500 ha of carrots, about 300 ha more than planned. Eight carrot regions covering a total area of 281 ha in the province remain unchanged, while an additional 76 ha of VietGAP-oriented cultivation zones were built in Cam Giang and Nam Sach districts.

Apart from certified growing regions, farmers in the remaining ones also comply with VietGAP in cultivation.

Besides carrot growing regions in Hai Duong, farmers have hired thousands of hectares in other provinces and cities to increase carrot production. In addition to riverbanks, carrots are also planted in fields. Some other winter crops have been replaced by carrots.

As estimated by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, about 65,000 tons of carrots were exported in the 2021 – 2022 winter crop, accounting for 80% of the total carrot output.

In the previous crop, though export continued to face difficulties because of the Covid-19 pandemic and high freight rates, businesses proactively sought new markets, leading to favorable selling of carrots.

Nearly 80% of carrots in the province are exported, bringing thousands of billion VND (file photo)

Aside from the main markets of South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Middle East countries, etc., carrots were also exported to new markets like the US, France, and some other European countries. This is good news for both farmers and agricultural product exporters in the province.

Tang Xuan Truong, Director of Hung Viet Agricultural Products JSC. in Gia Xuyen commune, Hai Duong city, said: “Last crop, my company successfully exported more than 100 tons of carrots and cabbage to France for the first time. All batches were highly appreciated.”

“This year, my enterprise aims to increase the quantity of agricultural products exported to European countries. These are fastidious but potential markets that require strict standards but are more valuable than traditional ones like Malaysia and South Korea,” added Truong.

To ensure the amount of agricultural products exported, apart from the company’s carrot growing regions covering an area of 18 ha, it has associated with farmers to plant more than 70 ha of carrots. VietGAP is applied to all growing regions, resulting in equal quality of agricultural products that meets the requirements of importing countries.

As for Le Thai Nghiep, Deputy Head of the Sub-department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, in recent years, the quality of carrots in Hai Duong has been maintained stably. Instead of abusing fertilizers and plant protection drugs like before, most farmers now follow agricultural officials’ instructions.

Residues of plant protection drugs, especially worms and residues of Hexaconazole in carrots, are strictly controlled, helping businesses feel secure in purchase for export and, at the same time, protecting the brand name of Hai Duong’s carrots in the world. 

TRAN HIEN