Along with trend and customers’ requirement of using clean, safe and quality foods, work of inspection and surveillance on quality of agro-forestry and aquatic products in the province have been focused on. This work both impacts on producers’ awareness and raises people’s awareness on choosing and using clean and quality foods.  

In Binh Duong, models of safe vegetable production have increased sharply. Localities of planting safe vegetables such as Uyen Hung, An Thanh, Binh Chuan and Tan Dinh and many more have become areas specializing in offering clean vegetables for supermarkets and wholesale markets in the province.

In terms of fruit tree growing area, production models on VietGap standard at Hieu Liem, Bach Dang, Long Nguyen, Thanh Tuyen have won high results. Meanwhile, models of hydroponically grown vegetables applied high technology have been interested in.

Overall, the provincial farmers’ production awareness has been improved gradually, creating safe and high quality products for market.

Hoang Thai Ha, a safe vegetable grower in Le Trang hamlet, Vinh Hoa commune, Phu Giao district, said “Local safe vegetable growers are aware of using plant protection chemicals and watering in assurance of required regulations. Aside from selling vegetables to market, we use them in daily meals, so quality and safety of vegetables are our top priority”.

Dinh Thien Thuan, head of the provincial bureau of agro-forestry and aquatic quality management said that over the past 3 years, thanks to cooperation between functional agencies and producers, rate of producers using banned chemicals in farming and breeding has declined strongly. Specifically, 100% of tested vegetable samples had no surplus of plant protection chemicals in the past year.

Meanwhile, customers’ awareness on using clean and safe foods has been improved remarkably. Nguyen Thi Kim Chi in Hiep Thanh ward, Thu Dau Mot city said “In the past, I was not interested in origin of foods but now I have paid much attention to quality, and origin of products”.

  Planting safe vegetables at An Thanh ward, Thuan An town.

However, at temporary markets, poor quality products have been still interested, owing to low incomers’ high demand. In addition, shortage of close control between functional agencies and local authorities has created favorable conditions for existence of poor quality products.

Thuan said that to effectively control farm produce items at supermarkets and traditional markets, it is necessary to have close management between market control agency and medical agency.

Possibly speaking, inspection and surveillance on agro-forestry and aquatic products’ quality have reached remarkable results. However, it is essential to have drastic measures to solve the existent problems in the coming time.

Reported by C.Son – Translated by A.C