(HBO) – The 2023 mountainous market fair in Hoa Binh province with the theme "Market fair – the beauty of the mountainous region” opened at Mai Chau district Stadium on October 3. Nguyen Thi Cam Phuong, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People's Council, Nguyen Van Toan and Nguyen Van Chuong, Vice Chairmen of the provincial People's Committee attended the event along with leaders of departments, agencies, districts and cities well as local residents and tourists.
Leaders of the provincial People's Council, People's Committee and departments and agencies of Mai Chau district cut the ribbons to open the 2023 mountainous market fair in Hoa Binh province.
In his opening remarks, Nguyen Van Chuong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee, head of the event’s organising board, said the market is an indispensable traditional cultural activity in local residents' life.
The market is not only a place to sell and exchange local products, but also a rendezvous among ethnic groups, a place where spiritual values and unique cultural beauty of each region converge, he said, adding that it helps preserve and spread good traditional cultural values in terms of customs, cuisine, costumes, unique cultural activities and folk games of ethnic minorities in Hoa Binh province.
The market, which lasts until October 7, aims to strengthen trade and tourism promotion activities, introducing products of one commune one product (OCOP) programme and other typical agricultural produce of the province, Chuong said.
It is also a place for businesses, cooperatives and people to meet, exchange, buy and sell goods as well as seek partners, expand business activities and consumption markets, actively contributing to promoting sustainable socio-economic development, he went on.
The market comprises 10 areas, including a stage; a space for booths introducing OCOP (one commune one product) agricultural products and typical commodities of the province; another of the Centre for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion introducing local potential and strengths, booths of Tan Lac, Cao Phong, Lac Son and Mai Chau districts; a culinary area; rural market; an outdoor playing space; and a commercial booth area and a number of other auxiliary areas.
At the market fair, there are brocade weaving demonstrations, traditional folk games such as nhay sap (dancing with bamboo poles), cultural exchanges and art performances.
The products displayed and sold at the mountainous market are typical goods of the locality that meet requirements in terms of quality, design, food safety and origin.
According to data from the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee, the industrial production index for the first six months of 2025 is estimated to have increased by 20% compared to the same period last year. This marks the highest year-on-year growth rate for this period since 2020.
In the first six months of 2025, Hoa Binh province’s export turnover was estimated at 1.145 billion USD, marking an 18.11% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Import turnover was estimated at $ 804 million, a 17.15% increase, which helped the province maintain a positive trade balance.
The lives of the ethnic minority farmers in Tan Lac district have gradually improved thanks to the new directions in agricultural production. This is a testament to the collective strength fostered through the professional associations and groups implemented by various levels of the district’s Farmers’ Union.
With the motto the "product quality comes first,” after nearly one year of establishment and operation, Muong village’s Clean Food Agricultural and Commercial Cooperative, located in Cau Hamlet, Hung Son Commune (Kim Boi district), has launched reputable, high-quality agricultural products to the market that are well-received by consumers. The products such as Muong village’s pork sausage, salt-cured chicken, and salt-cured pork hocks have gradually carved out a place in the market and they are on the path to obtaining the OCOP certification.
In the past, the phrase "bumper harvest, rock-bottom prices" was a familiar refrain for Vietnamese farmers engaged in fragmented, small-scale agriculture. But today, a new spirit is emerging across rural areas of Hoa Binh province - one of collaboration, organisation, and collective economic models that provide a stable foundation for production.
Maintaining growing area codes and packing facility codes in accordance with regulations is a mandatory requirement for agricultural products to be eligible for export. Recently, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hoa Binh province has intensified technical supervision of designated farming areas and packing facilities to safeguard the "green passport" that enables its products to access international markets.
