HÀ NỘI — The North Central region needs to improve its agricultural production and consumption strategies by building quality raw material zones, using modern processing technologies and digital tools, and working more closely with businesses to boost product value and reach more markets.

This was the key message shared at a forum on connecting production and consumption of agricultural products in the north central provinces, held in Nghệ An Province on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, Đinh Cao Khuê, chairman and general director of Dong Giao Foodstuff Export JSC (DOVECO), emphasised that crops like pineapples in the region have high potential to compete not only domestically but internationally.

However, he stressed the need for strategic planning to avoid fragmented and spontaneous farming.

“We’re willing to commit to off-take agreements with farmers, but support from the State is essential, especially during the early trial phase, to minimise risks for them,” he said.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc, deputy director of the Plant Protection Institute, warned that many key citrus production areas in provinces like Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Thanh Hóa and Huế are facing severe decline.

She cited falling yields, premature fruit drops and widespread orchard abandonment due to poor-quality seedlings, soil degradation, chemical overuse and plant diseases.

She called for stronger policy backing for digital transformation in pest control and crop management, and said the institute has already developed several technical packages ready for local transfer.

“We hope the north central region will soon reclaim its position as a hub for high-quality citrus fruit production, geared towards export and sustainability,” she said.

Nghệ An’s Vice Chairman Nguyễn Văn Đệ added that the province will continue prioritising agriculture, with focus crops including tea, pineapple and citrus fruits.

Nghệ An aims to expand pineapple farming areas to 5,000 hectares and apply standards such as VietGAP and GlobalGAP to meet both domestic and international demand.

Yet challenges persist.

Agricultural production is still small in scale, with unstable value chains. Processing capabilities remain underdeveloped, product branding is limited, and regional linkages are weak. As a result, product backlogs occur from time to time and value-added remains low.

To attract investment, Nghệ An has introduced four key mechanisms, including zoning of raw material areas, incentives to encourage crop expansion, tax, land and infrastructure support for investors and a push for digitalisation, transparency in origin traceability and certification of packing and growing zones.

According to Nguyễn Ngọc Thạch, Editor-in-Chief of Nông nghiệp và Môi trường (Agriculture and Environment) newspaper, the North Central provinces collectively grow over 28,600 hectares of pineapple, tea and citrus fruits, producing more than 400,000 tonnes annually.

He highlighted the economic and cultural value of local produce, including Đồng Giao pineapples, Vinh oranges and Phúc Trạch pomelos.

“These are not just agricultural products, they reflect regional heritage,” he said.

However, he also warned of challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, plant disease, high logistics costs and weak deep-processing capacity.

He added: “It’s time we shift our mindset from production to agricultural economy – where products must be clearly identified, standardised and market-oriented.”

Partnership models like pineapple farming between local farmers and businesses in Hà Tĩnh – where each hectare can earn VNĐ500–700 million a year – show strong and clear potential.

For the three main crops – pineapple, tea and citrus fruits – the region has over 28,600 hectares under cultivation, producing about 400,000 tonnes a year. These products are gaining market recognition thanks to better investment in farming areas, techniques, and processing.

Lê Quốc Doanh, chairman of the Vietnam Gardening Association and former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (now Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), urged stronger linkages between local authorities, enterprises and farmers to unlock the full potential of the north central region and advance towards a greener, modern and sustainable agriculture.

On the sidelines of the event, a relief programme delivered 25 tonnes of rice and two tonnes of maize seeds to flood-hit Nghệ An communities to support recovery. — VNS