When these links are closely integrated, many of the province’s key agricultural products not only gain stable market outlets but also steadily increase in value, paving the way for sustainable agricultural development.

In the first days of July, trucks continuously arrived at Pu Lau village, Mường Nhà commune, to purchase honey pineapples. Gone are the days when farmers anxiously waited for traders or worried that ripe pineapples would sell slowly during peak harvest periods. This year, pineapple growers feel more secure because a cooperative now stands behind them, guaranteeing product purchases and supporting them from production through marketing.

Mường Nhà commune currently has nearly 300 hectares of honey pineapple cultivation. As production has expanded, marketing challenges have become increasingly apparent. In the past, when cultivation areas were small and output was limited, harvested pineapples could be sold immediately. However, as production expanded, farmers became heavily dependent on traders, often facing the risk of a bumper harvest accompanied by falling prices.

To address this challenge, Pu Lau Honey Pineapple Cooperative was established in 2022 and developed a production linkage chain covering nearly 300 hectares. The cooperative purchases all products from participating farmers while providing guidance on safe production practices, standardized cultivation and harvesting techniques, brand development, and market expansion.

According to Thào A Giàng, Director of Pu Lau Honey Pineapple Cooperative in Mường Nhà commune: “Production linkage means accompanying farmers throughout the entire process, from selecting varieties and cultivation to harvesting and marketing. When product quality is guaranteed, the value of the pineapples increases, creating benefits for both producers and buyers.”

As a member of Pu Lau Honey Pineapple Cooperative, Vàng A Ly’s family has five hectares of commercial honey pineapple production covered by guaranteed purchasing agreements. He said: “Previously, my family had to find buyers on our own, and some years ripe pineapples sold very slowly. Since joining the cooperative, all of our products have been purchased, allowing farmers to focus solely on improving quality. With a stable market outlet, many households have confidently expanded their cultivation areas and increased their incomes.”

For many years, although Sính Phình and Sín Chải communes have possessed substantial areas of ancient tea trees and high-quality tea plantations, production remained fragmented, and raw-material quality was inconsistent, preventing products from reaching their full potential value. To overcome these limitations, Hương Linh Company Limited of Điện Biên province established a linkage chain connecting raw-material production, processing, and product marketing across the two communes.

The company signs contracts to purchase 100 percent of local tea output while providing technical guidance on cultivation and harvesting practices to ensure the quality of raw materials. All tea products are processed using modern production lines, contributing significantly to increased product value.

Nguyễn Mỹ Linh, Director of Hương Linh Company Limited, stated: “The partnership between the company and local farmers has created a closed value chain in which every participant has clearly defined responsibilities and benefits. Farmers have stable market access, the company secures a reliable supply of high-quality raw materials, and tea products continue to strengthen their position in the market.”

Building on these smaller-scale linkage models, Điện Biên is now aiming to develop larger value chains with the participation of leading agricultural enterprises. Currently, TH Group is implementing a project to develop more than 18,000 hectares of macadamia plantations, including a core area of approximately 4,000 hectares and nearly 14,000 hectares of linked production areas in communes belonging to the former Tuần Giáo district.

Alongside the development of raw-material zones, the corporation has proposed investing in a macadamia processing plant in Tuần Giáo commune to establish a center for purchasing, preliminary processing, and product manufacturing, thereby completing the value chain from production to consumption.

According to Ngô Minh Hải, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TH Group, agricultural development in the new era can no longer rely on small-scale production but must transition toward high-tech agriculture, green economy models, circular economy principles, and integrated value chains.

“In implementing our projects, we place special emphasis on cooperation with local people through cooperatives and cooperative groups. Most importantly, we seek to build a mutually beneficial development ecosystem in which enterprises, farmers, and local authorities work together to create sustainable value for Điện Biên’s macadamia industry,” he said.

In practice, linkage is no longer simply a solution for product marketing but has become a modern method of organizing agricultural production. Within these value chains, farmers no longer operate independently but become integral participants. Cooperatives serve as coordinators of production, enterprises provide investment, technology, processing, and market expansion, while the State plays a facilitating role through supportive policies and mechanisms.

To date, the province has supported more than 240 agricultural production and marketing linkage projects with total funding exceeding VND 282 billion. These linkage models have become increasingly diverse, covering sectors such as rice, vegetables, coffee, tea, fruit trees, macadamia cultivation, and livestock production.

As a result, concentrated commodity-production zones are gradually being established, helping improve productivity, product quality, and agricultural value. Experience shows that linkage models can reduce production costs by 10-15 percent, increase productivity by 15-25 percent, and significantly improve profitability per unit of land.

Chu Thị Thanh Xuân, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that production, processing, and marketing linkages are an essential solution for restructuring the agricultural sector toward greater modernization, efficiency, and sustainability.

“In the coming period, the sector will continue advising on policies that support value-chain development, the establishment of concentrated raw-material zones, and greater investment in deep processing. At the same time, we will promote the application of science and technology as well as digital transformation in production, product traceability, and product promotion,” she said.

As agricultural production faces increasing pressure from climate change, market requirements, and growing competition, the integration of production, processing, and product marketing is widely regarded as a fundamental solution for enhancing agricultural value and ensuring the sustainable development of agriculture in Điện Biên province.