Booths displaying safe agricultural products from the city at the Son La Coffee Festival - Photo: VGP/LS.

From 2021 to the present, the city has coordinated the organization of 35 training courses on transferring production techniques according to VietGAP standards and guiding the development of concentrated raw material areas, ensuring product safety and quality. It has supported the issuance of VietGAP and GlobalGAP certificates for 54.5 hectares of coffee and over 166 hectares of fruit trees; supported the issuance of planting area codes for nearly 93 hectares of fruit trees; nearly 40 hectares of coffee have been certified with 4C, UTZ, and RA standards; supported the construction of product identification and traceability systems for 5 cooperatives; supported 3 cooperatives in purchasing new packaging for their products and supported the development of 10 OCOP products; and developed an additional 8 safe agricultural food supply chains, bringing the total to 15.

Simultaneously, 640 million VND was provided to 7 businesses and cooperatives to develop brands and expand markets, in accordance with Resolution 128/2020/NQ-HĐND dated February 28, 2020, of the Provincial People's Council; over 217 million VND was provided to 5 households to build facilities for preliminary processing, processing, and preservation of agricultural products, in accordance with Decision No. 1818/QĐ-UBND dated July 28, 2021, of the Provincial People's Committee. In addition, 1.7 billion VND was provided to the Bich Thao Son La Coffee Cooperative to build a factory and expand its production and processing scale.

Thanks to the city's support and assistance, cooperatives have expanded their production and business scale, building models that yield high productivity and income. Examples include the red-fleshed dragon fruit model of An Phu Agricultural Cooperative in Chieng An ward, achieving a yield of 22 tons/ha and a profit of 200-250 million VND/ha; the commercial 3B cattle farming model in Chieng Den commune, generating a profit of approximately 200 million VND/year; the orange cultivation model in Chieng Xom commune, achieving a yield of 20 tons/ha and a profit of 350 million VND/ha; and the specialty coffee cultivation model of Bich Thao Coffee Cooperative in Son La, exporting an average of 4,000-6,000 tons of green coffee beans, 1.5 tons of roasted and ground coffee, and ground coffee powder annually, generating revenue of 40 billion VND and providing stable employment for 10 local workers with an income of 5-6 million VND/month.

To support product consumption, the city has coordinated with provincial departments and agencies, telecommunications and postal corporations to organize training programs on e-commerce; and provided training and guidance on livestreaming sales on social media and reputable domestic and international e-commerce platforms.

Training in digital business skills for enterprises, cooperatives, and agricultural product businesses.
in Son La city - Photo VGP/LS

To date, 50 OCOP products and other specialty products of the city have been sold on the PostMart e-commerce platform (buudien.vn); over 700 businesses have opened accounts and equipped themselves with QR codes to facilitate cashless payments. Among them, coffee products from Bich Thao Son La Coffee Cooperative are sold at OCOP stores and Mega Market supermarkets; safe vegetables from Son La Safe Agricultural Products Cooperative in Chieng Den commune and red-fleshed dragon fruit from An Phu Agricultural Cooperative in Chieng An ward are sold at safe vegetable stores throughout the province and Hanoi city...

Continuing to implement mechanisms and policies on agricultural and rural development, Son La city focuses on supporting businesses, cooperatives, and agricultural production and trading establishments in building and developing key and distinctive agricultural products; gradually applying modern forms of trade promotion. It also supports the development of agricultural product distribution systems; participates in regional and inter-regional agricultural product fairs and conferences connecting supply and demand for goods.

According to Mr. Tran Cong Chinh, Vice Chairman of the Son La City People's Committee, the city has directed specialized departments to research, advise, and propose mechanisms and policies to support digital transformation in the agricultural sector. This includes building and replicating safe agricultural production models, applying sensors and smart devices that are connected and automatically controlled throughout the production process. The city is also promoting modern trade practices such as e-marketing, encouraging businesses to build their own websites to promote and introduce their brands and products.

Source: Government Online Newspaper