Link to bring Hoa Binh black pig specialties to Port land for consumption

Hai Phong Young Entrepreneurs Association and Hoa Binh Cooperative Union coordinated to bring black pig specialties to consumption in port land, expanding markets for farmers.

Great potential

Hoa Binh is a mountainous province with advantages and potentials in developing specialty products, regional characteristics, especially currently domestic consumers are interested in indigenous black pig products.

However, at present, most of the livestock production scale of cooperatives and households is still small, fragmented, lacking the application of technical advances in production, while the fragmentary situation in the stages from production, collection, transportation and consumption of products, leading to low product quality, has not met the increasing demand of the consumer market.

In addition, Hoa Binh black pig products are highly appreciated for the quality of Hoa Binh indigenous black pork currently have to compete fiercely with indigenous pig products, wild boars of other provinces such as Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien … making it more and more difficult for people to output livestock products.

According to statistics of the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Health of Hoa Binh province, currently in the area, cooperatives and free-range breeding households in Tan Lac, Mai Chau, Da Bac districts have an average pig herd size of 120-200 heads/production cycle, 1 production cycle lasts from 7-9 months, The selling price of pigs is from 70,000 – 100,000 VND/kg, giving an income of over 100 million VND/household.

Basically, households have had experience in raising indigenous pigs for a long time, locally available food sources from green vegetables and protein feed, starch feed such as cornmeal, potato flour, tapioca flour ,…

In addition, indigenous pig breeds are stronger and more resistant than imported pigs, so the risk rate is low and households have existing barns, grazing grounds for pigs and indigenous pork are now favored by consumers.

However, livestock households do not have contracts for stable production and consumption of products, the production and consumption of products have not formed a chain, so the selling price of products is still low and often forced by private trade.

On the other hand, the livestock scale is still small, fragmented, and good breeding practices (VietGAHP) have not been applied in the farming process, so productivity and quality of livestock are still low and the risk of environmental pollution is high.

And it is worth mentioning that the impact of the current complicated epidemic, the risk rate in livestock production is high if strict disease control measures are not applied.

“The impact of the current complicated epidemic, the risk rate in livestock production is high if strict disease control measures are not applied. Pig farming will pollute the environment if livestock households do not know how to handle environmental hygiene, affecting the living environment of people”, Ms. Ha Thi Tam, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors – Director of Tam Cuong Tan Minh Multidisciplinary Cooperative, Ênh village, Tan Minh commune, Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province shared.

Practice shows that indigenous black pork products of cooperatives are very popular in the market and have a large demand. However, at present, markets, especially Hanoi market are increasingly demanding higher for meat quality, especially to meet VietGAHP safety standards – this is not achieved by some cooperatives because they have not produced according to VietGAHP process.

In addition, cooperatives have not yet linked in production to increase the size of pigs, increase production to supply enough to the market, so they have not met the needs and expectations of the current market.

According to the Hoa Binh Cooperative Union, overcoming the aforementioned limitations, CooPlus Co., Ltd. and cooperatives in Da Bac, Tan Lac, Mai Chau districts,… has linked the production and consumption of VietGAHP indigenous black pig products along the value chain through a project to be implemented in the period of 2023 – 2025.

This is a link between CooPlus Co., Ltd. and cooperatives and livestock households in purchasing indigenous pig products, after the production process (from 7 to 9 months), indigenous pigs produced by cooperatives and livestock households in districts are jointly slaughtered to fulfill the contract signed from the beginning of the season.

The goal of the project is to stabilize production, link indigenous black pig breeding with a scale of 4,000 heads, the consumption output in 2023 is expected to reach: 80 tons, improving economic efficiency for livestock households.

It is expected that in 2024, 2025 and the following years, it will continue to link and increase the scale of livestock, in 2024 it will be 5,000 heads, the output will reach 110 tons (up 12.5% compared to 2023) and by 2025 it will be 6,500 heads, the output will reach 108 tons (up 35% compared to 2024).

By 2025, 100% of the link’s products will be consumed through contracts, the product value will increase by 20% compared to the market price.

Linkage, market expansion

This is the first time that the 2 sides have specifically coordinated through the signing of cooperation agreements with coordination programs to promote product consumption in Hai Phong and neighboring provinces and cities.

The purpose of this coordination is to increase the scale, spread, trade promotion for OCOP products, products of cooperatives and cooperative groups in Hoa Binh province to be consumed directly in Hai Phong market.

Through this cooperation, cooperatives have more opportunities to connect sustainably in linking production along the product value chain with commercial enterprises as well as seeking opportunities to sell products for Hoa Binh cooperatives according to customer segments in high-end urban areas.

On the other hand, the annual organization of Hoa Binh Agricultural and Food Week in Hai Phong will contribute to introducing and creating a forum to promote images and communication about key agricultural products and foodstuffs in Hoa Binh province.

Ms. Dinh Thi Ngoc Hoa, Vice Chairwoman of Hoa Binh Cooperative Union, said that through the program, businesses and cooperatives have the opportunity to promote and introduce potentials, strengths, key products, meet quality standards, traceability and local characteristics.

On the other hand, it will build a network of links between manufacturers and distribution and retail enterprises, creating opportunities to sign contracts for sale and purchase of products, technology transfer, joint ventures between cooperatives and enterprises,… in provinces and cities across the country. Contribute to building production cooperative models associated with sustainable product value chains.

To concretize this cooperation, Hoa Binh Cooperative Alliance opened an agricultural and food store and organized a 5-day Hoa Binh agricultural and food week in Vinhome Marina urban area, Vinh Niem ward, Le Chan district.

Ms. Nguyen Minh Thu, residing in Vinh Niem ward, Le Chan district shared: We have long known black pigs and native chickens,… and the specialties of the Northwest but have little opportunity to enjoy due to not knowing where to buy. If the Northwest specialty items are sold regularly, it is a good opportunity for the people of Port Land to have more options for daily rice trays.

“My family loves to eat Northwest food but doesn’t know where to buy it, especially native pork and hill chicken. Now it only takes 5 minutes for me to make my own choices to cook meals for my family. It’s very convenient,” Thu said.