JICA elevates fermented bamboo shoots, Thanh Chuong chicken, and Nghe An tea to a new level of prominence.
Besides providing guidance on clean and safe production methods, JICA also supports market connections, contributing to enhancing the brand image of fermented bamboo shoots, Thanh Chuong hill chicken, Nghe An tea, etc.
Building a brand for Thanh Chuong's fermented bamboo shoots and free-range chicken.
Thanh Chuong is a mountainous district in Nghe An province with rustic specialties such as fermented bamboo shoots, black olives, and free-range chicken. For many years, the people of Cat Ngan area, comprising 9 communes on the left bank along the Lam River, have turned fermented bamboo shoots into a marketable product.
Nhút Cát Ngạn is made from clean agricultural products such as young jackfruit, bamboo shoots, banana blossoms, sour starfruit, black olives, eggplant, lime peel, chili peppers, along with roots like galangal, lemongrass, roasted corn flour, and some other spices.
The ingredients are mostly sourced from local gardens and prepared using traditional, handcrafted recipes to create delicious and appealing dishes.
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In Cat Van commune, Thanh Chuong district, Mr. Pham Hoai Duc's family received support from JICA to implement proper production procedures and ensure food hygiene, aiming to turn local food products into marketable goods through the "Agricultural Product Marketing Forum in the Province" project.
Mr. Pham Hoai Duc said: "When JICA officials came to my house, they thoroughly investigated the origin of each ingredient, inspected each stage of production, tasted the products… before proceeding and guiding me on how to build a brand and how to preserve the goods."
With the involvement of JICA, households in Hamlet 5, Cat Van Commune, have successfully built the Thanh Chuong pickled bamboo shoot brand, known for its high quality, attractive packaging, and longer shelf life. The pickled bamboo shoot boxes also feature complete labels, production dates, OCOP certification, and origin information. JICA has also connected and introduced the product to restaurants, supermarkets, and several stores in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
To date, Thanh Chuong's fermented bamboo shoot products have become marketable goods, widely consumed, and recognized as a 3-star OCOP product. Besides fermented bamboo shoots, JICA has also supported Thanh Chuong district in successfully building a renowned brand of delicious free-range chicken, which is favored by markets both within and outside the province.
Continue to support market expansion.
Following the success of the fermented bamboo shoot products, JICA continues to support the white garlic production model in Na Ngoi commune (Ky Son district), and market Ky Son ginger and Dien Phong chili peppers (Dien Chau district). Mr. Nguyen Van Truong, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Ky Son district, said: The garlic planting project in Na Ngoi commune, established in 2017 and 2018, was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic but is now being restarted. The garlic cultivation process at the 10th Youth Volunteer Brigade shows that the garlic adapts well to the terrain of Ky Son district and produces high-quality garlic. In 2024, JICA will continue its survey to implement the project "Survey and verification of sustainable business development with the private sector to develop the value chain for Sanuki garlic in Nghe An" in 2025. It is known that the market value of Japanese white garlic is currently very high, sometimes reaching 100,000 VND per bulb. If the project is successful, it will open up many opportunities for garlic cultivation in Ky Son.
In 2024, the JICA project also built two models: "Growing cantaloupe in greenhouses meeting VietGAP standards" for the business owner Nguyen Van Tuan in Dai Son commune, Do Luong district, with a scale of 1,200m².2, with an expected yield of 12.6 tons/year and "High-tech intercropping of apples and papayas" in Hung Dong commune, Vinh City, on a scale of 3,000m².2.
Production models, which were once largely lacking, have now invested in packaging, labeling, product traceability, and the application of quality control and food safety processes such as VietGAP, along with origin documentation. As a result, the quality of the products has truly transformed, leading to wider consumption.
In 2024, the JICA Project Management Board in Nghe An collected and shared information on businesses, cooperatives, and individuals producing, processing, and trading agricultural products, especially key agricultural products, and OCOP-certified products of the province, with domestic and international markets. They also shared information on 40 OCOP products exported to markets such as Japan, South Korea, and European countries. Through this, connections were established between Minh Ngoc Corp (Ho Chi Minh City) and Huong Son Handicraft Cooperative (Ky Son) regarding Ky Son ginger products; and between Ameii Vietnam Joint Stock Company and Dien Phong Cooperative (Dien Chau) regarding chili pepper products.
In 2024, the JICA Project opened two training courses for 80 trainees to enhance skills in promoting trade, connecting supply and demand, and developing markets for agricultural products and OCOP products of Nghe An province; and organized eight supply-demand connection conferences and trade fairs to promote characteristic agricultural products at various domestic fairs. As a result, many products such as cassava starch, turmeric starch, medicinal herbs, veal sausage, soy sauce, lotus seeds, fish sauce, etc., have been signed for distribution to numerous supermarkets and stores nationwide.
JICA also provided initial support for models and products such as safe vegetables in Vinh City, clean spinach in Quynh Luong (Quynh Luu), Quang Tien pink pomelo, Van Dien vermicelli (Nam Dan), Matcha green tea from green tea (Thanh Chuong), Con Cuong oranges, Ky Yen oranges (Quy Hop), early-ripening plum cultivation to improve livelihoods for people in Muong Long commune (Ky Son), and taro cultivation in Que Phong district...
Speaking about the effectiveness of the JICA Project through agricultural models in Nghe An, Mr. Nguyen Van De - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee - highly appreciated the role and significance of cooperative support activities, a new operational model that the whole country does not yet have, and an important bridge in the cooperative relationship between Nghe An and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De highly appreciated the marketing role of the project in contributing to promoting and introducing Nghe An's distinctive products, specialties, and OCOP products such as golden flower tea, soup, eel vermicelli, Shan Tuyet tea, Ky Son ginger essential oil, glutinous rice wine (Tuong Duong), Dien Chau lotus peanuts, etc., at souvenir shops owned by Japanese people in Hanoi. He also expressed his hope that the forum would overcome limitations, continue to develop specific plans, and further support and guide Japanese and other partner businesses to survey and connect with investment opportunities in Nghe An province.
