Identifying that granting planting area codes is significant in the agricultural value chain, the Điện Biên provincial agriculture sector has proactively reviewed, guided, and supported eligible cooperatives and production households. The sector coordinates closely with localities to provide technical training, guidance on record-keeping, and production management according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. At the same time, it promotes the application of digital technology in managing planting zones to ensure transparency and product traceability.

From the beginning of 2025 to now, the entire province has issued 7 new planting area codes for 5 establishments, businesses, and households, covering an area of 19.4ha. Cumulatively to date, the entire province has 16 planting area codes, covering 75.6ha for key crops such as: orange, pomelo, mango, macadamia, rice, and some other fruit trees. Specifically, coffee has 9.2ha in Mường Ảng and Quài Tở communes; tea 16ha in Mường Lạn commune; macadamia 15ha in Tuần Giáo commune; various fruits like pomelo, orange, pineapple, jackfruit, Taiwanese mango... 25.5ha in Mường Thanh ward and the communes of Mường Nhà, Thanh Yên, Thanh An, and Pú Nhung; and rice 10ha in Mường Lay ward.

The Quài Nưa Macadamia Production Linkage Cooperative Group in Cang village, Tuần Giáo commune, is one of the pioneers, granted a planting area code for 15ha of macadamia. Previously, residents did not focus on technical processes, leading to inconsistent nut quality. After being trained and guided according to the code-issuing process, people changed their production mindset, paying more attention to recording farming logs, using fertilizers and pesticides correctly, and strictly adhering to care, harvest, and processing procedures. As a result, the quality of the macadamia nuts has improved markedly, the rate of standard-compliant nuts has increased, and the selling price is higher than before. Furthermore, having a planting area code also helps the cooperative easily trace the product’s origin, build trust with purchasing enterprises, and open up opportunities to join large supply chains.

The 1.2ha pomelo model of Quàng Mạnh Cường’s family in Thanh Chính village, Thanh Yên commune, was certified with a planting area code in early 2025. According to Cường, receiving the code not only helps his family’s product find a stable market but also opens up opportunities to access large markets, especially supermarket systems.

Cường shared: “Previously, our pomelos were mainly sold retail in the region, and prices were unstable. Now with the planting area code, the product has clear traceability. Traders come directly to the garden to buy, and the selling price is 20 - 30% higher than before.”

Along with applying safe farming processes, using organic fertilizers, and an irrigation-saving system, Cường’s pomelo garden now provides a stable income of hundreds of millions of VND per year, becoming a typical model for crop restructuring in the locality.

Điện Biên is gradually digitizing planting zone data, linking the codes to a digital agricultural map system. This will make the management, traceability, and quality monitoring of agricultural products more convenient, transparent, and efficient. Replicating planting area codes is also identified as a key solution in the province’s sustainable agricultural development and climate change adaptation strategy. Each code issued is a “passport” for Điện Biên’s agricultural products into domestic and foreign markets, and also marks a fundamental shift in farmers’ thinking from spontaneous to organized, from small-scale to linked production. The coded zones are strictly controlled from seed, cultivation techniques, and care processes to harvesting, ensuring products meet safety standards and are traceable for domestic consumption and export.

The Điện Biên provincial agriculture sector is striving to overcome difficulties and obstacles so that the issuance and management of planting area codes can truly deepen and promote sustainable efficiency. With limited resources, non-synchronized rural infrastructure, and many fragmented, small-scale production areas, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has proactively coordinated with localities and specialized units to organize training, provide technical guidance, and support cooperatives and households in preparing their dossiers.

The process of granting a planting area code requires strict procedures. Facilities must meet VietGAP, GlobalGAP, or organic standards, while also fully updating information on harvest cycles, traceability, consumer markets, etc. For export-oriented zones, the requirements are even stricter: a minimum scale of 10ha and rigorous control of pests, with an absolute ban on prohibited active ingredients. For this reason, Điện Biên province does not yet have any planting area codes for export.

To remove barriers in awareness and management capacity, the agriculture sector is promoting communication, guiding people to understand the benefits of receiving a planting area code, and supporting cooperatives in completing technical dossiers, production logs, and records of agricultural material use to ensure transparent traceability. At the same time, the province is calling on enterprises to join the linkage chain, accompanying farmers in consuming products, and creating motivation to expand concentrated production zones eligible for export coding in the future.

Practical implementation shows that the areas granted codes have all made clear shifts in awareness and farming methods. Farmers are now accustomed to keeping production logs, limiting pesticides, increasing the use of organic fertilizers, and complying with VietGAP and GlobalGAP processes. Replicating planting area codes is a comprehensive change process, from production mindset to production organization, from the farmer to the enterprise, from policy to concrete action. With this direction, Điện Biên is affirming its determination to develop a green, safe, and sustainable agriculture, creating a firm foothold for local agricultural products in the domestic market and aiming for export.