Attending and directing the forum were Mr. Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment; leaders of some departments and offices of the Ministry; and leaders of the People's Committees of Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces. On the side of Son La province, there were Mr. Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, leaders of relevant departments and branches, along with many experts, scientists, enterprises, cooperatives, industry associations, and producers from provinces in the region.

The forum, organized to strengthen regional linkages in the production and consumption of agricultural and forestry products, and oriented production along the value chain from cultivation, preliminary processing, processing to consumption and export, at the same time, this is also a practical activity responding to the campaign: "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods." launched by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Northwest - Land of great potential

The Northwest region has great potential and advantages in developing agricultural and forestry products, with a total output of key farm products in 2024 reaching a high level: 773.5 thousand tons of rice, 638.4 thousand tons of corn, 899 thousand tons of cassava, and 1.15 million tons of sugarcane. In addition, the specific climate and soil help the region effectively produce temperate and subtropical fruit trees such as mango (79.8 thousand tons), longan (81.3 thousand tons), plum (94.5 thousand tons), orange (108.1 thousand tons), banana (116.6 thousand tons), grapefruit (125.9 thousand tons), etc. perennial industrial crops such as coffee and rubber are also increasingly being focused on development.

Thanks to the investment attention of the Central Government and the efforts of localities, agriculture in the Northwest region has achieved comprehensive development, forming several large-scale specialized areas, and contributing to rocketing the export value; in 2024, the total export turnover of agricultural products in the region was approximately 245 million USD, of which Son La leads with 190 million USD, some key export items include coffee (over 90 million USD), tea (22 million USD), cassava starch (36 million USD), longan and mango (30 million USD), cinnamon essential oil (22 million USD); however, production still has many limitations such as small scale, unsustainable chain linkage, limited processing and preservation technology, many products have not built strong brands, mainly consumed domestically or exported raw.

Son La - A bright spot in connecting production and consumption

As the host locality of the Forum, Son La currently has a total area of nearly 119,900 hectares of fruit trees and perennial industrial trees, with an annual output surpassing 612,000 tons; fresh fruits such as mango, longan, banana, passion fruit, plum, etc., are consumed through three main channels: locally, in the domestic market, and for export, now, many products are available in major distribution systems including Vinmart, Big C, Lotte, Hapro, and key markets such as Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, etc.

In 2024, Son La exported approximately 8,900 tons of tea (21.90 million USD); 31,700 tons of coffee (88.77 million USD); 7,600 tons of mango (1.876 million USD), and 7,200 tons of banana (2.1 million USD); The province is actively supporting enterprises and cooperatives to boost production, processing, and trade, and promoting capacity.

Proposing policies, promoting regional linkages

At the Forum, there were lots of enthusiastic opinions from leaders of the Ministry, localities, experts, scientists, and enterprises. The key contents revolved around solutions to build stable raw material areas, promote deep processing, apply digital technology, enhance the logistics system, improve trade promotion capacity, and expand export markets.

Speaking at the Forum, Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam emphasized that to develop sustainable agriculture in the Northwest, there needs to be close coordination between the provinces in the region, businesses, cooperatives, and farmers; spontaneously, it is necessary to promote the application of digital transformation in production and consumption, linking value chains and building regional specialty brands.

The recommendations and proposals at the Forum are a crucial basis for management agencies to continue researching, perfecting appropriate policies; Thereby, promoting effective linkages between localities, businesses, and people, contributing to maximizing the potential and advantages of the Northwest region, at the same time, increasing the added value and competitiveness of agricultural and forestry products, towards a green, modern, and sustainable agriculture.

Quoc Tuan

Translated by Tuan Minh Dang