Hai Duong is suitable for growing various types of vegetables, among which carrots are one of the main crops. For many years, carrot cultivation has applied with high-tech farming methods for domestic consumption. Especially, Hai Duong carrot for export brings high economic value for farmers and export companies.
Duc Chinh Commune in Cam Giang District is the carrot capital of Hai Duong Province. This commune has its large cultivation area of carrots with a distinctive flavor, crisp texture, and natural sweetness. Mr. Bac, a local farmer, happily shared that thanks to the application of proper cultivation techniques, his family’s carrots generate good productivity.
Hai Duong carrot for export
“In recent years, carrot cultivation has brought a stable income, with annual profits reaching 6 million VND per sào (approx. 360 m²). I have finished harvesting carrots, and traders are coming directly to the fields buying them,” said Mr. Bac.
“In the past, we mainly relied on manual labor to grow carrots, which was very strenuous. However, everything has recently done with modern machinery, making the work much easier. Farmers mostly focus on pruning and weeding, while watering and making planting beds by machinery.”
In this carrot season, Duc Chinh Commune has cultivated over 360 hectares of carrots following Vietgap. Accordingly, it generates with a total yield of 13,000 tons of fresh carrot. In addition, Duc Chinh farmers have rented more than 1,000 hectares of land in other localities for carrot cultivation, with an estimated output of over 40,000 tons.
Harvesting Hai Duong carrot
“Almost every household in the commune grows carrots, nearly 2,000 in total,” said Mr. Tuong, Chairman of Duc Chinh Commune. “Nowadays, local farmers have applied advanced agricultural techniques to carrot farming. Machinery has done from bed preparation and seed sowing to automatic irrigation. Therefore, it makes the work much less strenuous than before.
Most of the carrot output has exported to Korea, Malaysia, and the Middle East. In addition, demand from other countries is also growing significantly. When their experts came to survey the farms, they confirmed that the quality of our carrots was good. Therefore, they expressed great interest in Duc Chinh’s carrots.”
There are currently around 20 enterprises, and facilities specializing in the purchasing, packing and exporting Hai Duong’s carrots. According to Mr. Thuat, Director of the Duc Chinh Agricultural Service Cooperative, after washing and packing, carrots are available to detect pesticide residues. As of now, the cooperative has promoted more than 30,000 tons of Hai Duong carrot for export. Additionally, the Cooperative is actively seeking to expand into additional international markets.
Hai Duong carrot factory for export
“At the processing facilities, carrots are washed through five machines, then passed through an ozone tank, followed by a blower to dry them. Once dried, the carrots are moved onto a conveyor belt where workers sort them by sizes, depending on the requirements of each market,” said Mr. Thuat.
“Hai Duong carrot for export should keep in the cold room at least 24 hours to reduce the temperature less than 3oC. When loading into containers for export, Hai Duong carrots can keep four months while still maintaining freshness, appearance, and quality.”
Currently, there are more than 70% of Hai Duong carrot for export. There are main markets such as UAE, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. The remaining 30% of fresh carrot is for local consumption. To ensure the quality of carrots for export, the local agricultural sector has implemented measures such as issuing planting area codes, closely monitoring harmful nematodes and quarantine pests flagged by importing countries, and strictly controlling pesticide residue levels.
Ms. Kiem, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hai Duong Province, stated that farmers and businesses must comply with plant quarantine regulations and take responsibility for traceability. They should pay careful attention to the purchasing, sorting, packaging, and storage processes to ensure the quality of carrots. Through these efforts, the reputation of Hai Duong carrots will be maintained as they continue to penetrate international markets.
Washing Hai Duong carrot for export
“We support farmers in issuing and managing planting area codes for export purposes. Also, we assist them in connecting with purchasing enterprises to gain more customers, thereby making pricing and competition more favorable. At the same time, we strictly control food safety and hygiene.
Through these enterprises, we require farmers to fully comply and control materials at the green fields. We believe this is the shortest path to controlling pesticide residues because the ultimate goal is the brand and quality of Hai Duong carrots,” said Ms. Kiem.
For many years, Hai Duong carrots have established a strong brand, helping thousands of farmers prosper on their own homeland soil. The Hai Duong carrot brand is growing robustly and gradually conquering demanding markets worldwide through its quality.
Vietnamese source: https://vov.vn/kinh-te/hai-duong-bao-dam-chat-luong-ca-rot-phuc-vu-xuat-khau-post1084111.vov