Ensuring food safety and hygiene, improving the quality of agricultural products.

TStrengthen inspections and checks to ensure food safety.

With its large area and high production of key crops such as rice, corn, tea, oranges, and vegetables, agriculture plays a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the province. However, traditional production methods remain prevalent, with a large number of agricultural production and trading establishments, many of which are small-scale and fragmented.

Under these circumstances, to manage and ensure food quality and safety in the area, strengthening both unscheduled and regular inspections of agricultural and forestry production, processing, and trading establishments is one of the activities consistently carried out by the Sub-Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development, especially during peak periods such as the Lunar New Year and the Food Safety Action Month. The Sub-Department also focuses on inspecting essential goods with high food safety risks such as meat, vegetables, fruits, and processed products.

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Regarding violations, we are determined to handle them strictly according to the law, gradually eliminating substandard products from the market, and protecting the legitimate rights of consumers and honest manufacturers.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ha - Head of the Quality, Processing and Market Development Sub-Department of Nghe An Province

In the first 10 months of the year, units under the Department of Agriculture and Environment inspected more than 700 establishments, while focusing on assessing and issuing Food Safety Certificates to more than 260 establishments, conducting post-inspection checks of self-declarations, etc.; the amount of fines imposed on violating establishments reached hundreds of millions of VND.

In particular, coordination between the Department of Agriculture and Environment and other sectors and localities has been further strengthened, contributing to improved monitoring, detection, and timely handling of violations in quality management, production, and trading of counterfeit, imitation, substandard goods, and unsafe food. For example, three bean sprout production facilities were found to be using the banned substance 6-Benzylaminopurine, resulting in the destruction of 14,540 kg of bean sprouts, thus preventing potential health risks to consumers.

The unit has focused on coordinating with localities, taking samples to test the quality of agricultural products and food, especially focusing on high-risk items such as plant seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary drugs, vegetables, tubers, pickled bamboo shoots, processed foods, etc. Through this, many violations related to labeling, hygiene conditions, and product quality that do not meet regulations have been detected and handled.

Increase the area of ​​safe agricultural production.

To improve the quality and safety of agricultural products, the Sub-Department is also actively promoting the development of safe production models, considering this a fundamental and sustainable solution to change traditional and outdated production practices, creating a source of clean, quality-assured products to meet the increasingly high demands of the market.

The unit has actively implemented and expanded production models according to VietGAP standards for crops and livestock. These models are supported with technical assistance, production processes, and field logbook keeping, thereby creating products with clear traceability.

Practical experience in several localities shows that VietGAP-certified models for producing vegetables, fruits, tea, and oranges have yielded outstanding economic results, increasing farmers' income by 1.2-1.5 times compared to conventional production. It can be said that VietGAP is both a solution to improve the quality of agricultural products and a driving force for restructuring Nghe An's agriculture towards modernization, sustainability, and the development of local brands.

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In the current context, the application of good agricultural practices (VietGAP, HACCP) is considered an essential direction. VietGAP not only helps farmers change their farming practices towards a more scientific approach, better controlling the use of fertilizers and pesticides, but also reduces environmental pollution and limits pest outbreaks. More importantly, VietGAP-certified products gain prestige, creating an advantage when accessing modern distribution systems and export markets.

Mr. Nguyen Thai Tuan - Head of Professional Affairs Department - Nghe An Sub-Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development

The establishment of safe food supply chains from production to consumption is also a remarkable success, helping to control quality at every stage and ensuring that products reaching consumers are safe and of the highest quality. At the same time, the development of branding and labeling for safe products has been strengthened, creating solid trust in the market.

Since the beginning of this year alone, the Sub-Department has guided and supervised households participating in the construction of 4 safe production models according to VietGAP standards, 3 processing models according to HACCP standards, and 3 models for transferring science and technology and building product brands in the processing of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products. At the same time, it has provided support with 251,600 labels; 11,870 product boxes; 11,000 product bags and 1,000 kg of vacuum bags.

The Sub-Department also regularly organizes training sessions and conferences for farmers and owners of production and processing facilities. The content focuses on new regulations on food safety, safe farming techniques, and guidance on applying advanced preservation technologies. This aims to equip people with legal knowledge and modern production skills, helping them proactively manage clean production processes.

In particular, with the implementation of a two-tiered administrative system, food safety management for households and cooperatives has been transferred to the commune-level authorities; however, most communes have not yet met the requirement that the head of the inspection team must have a certified food safety inspector. In response to this situation, the Sub-Department promptly contacted the School of Agricultural and Rural Development Management Cadres and collaborated in organizing training for 67 trainees, who are officials in charge of food safety management in communes and wards.

At the same time, timely issuance of guidance documents and responses to advisory groups supporting communes and wards are crucial. During the inspection process, weak communes and wards will receive additional guidance or coordination, mobilizing commune and ward officials to participate in the inspection to enhance the skills, capacity, and working ability of grassroots officials...

By promoting the application of technology in production, expanding standardized models such as VietGAP and GlobalGAP, and strengthening control and traceability, the Sub-Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development has built consumer trust and opened up opportunities to enhance the value and competitiveness of Nghe An agricultural products in the market.