As part of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Hoa Binh Province Da River Fish and Shrimp Festival, the auction of specialty fish from the Hoa Binh reservoir attracted significant attention.
Specialty fish at the ceremony of the 2024 Hoa Binh Province Da River Fish and Shrimp Festival.
Thousands of attendees cheered as bidders
competed for prized catches. A commercial sturgeon weighing over 45 kg from Hai
Dang Aquaculture Co., Ltd. fetched a final price of 150 million VND (60 USD),
while a 25-kg black carp from Cuong Thinh Aquaculture and Services Co., Ltd.
was sold for 105 million VND. Both fish were raised in the Hoa Binh reservoir,
known for its high-quality aquatic products that meet the standards of even the
most discerning consumers.
This marks the second year the festival has been
held at a provincial level, aiming to enhance the value of aquaculture and
develop signature tourism products for Hoa Binh. The opening night drew
thousands of residents and tourists to the province's Exhibition and Trade
Center for shopping, entertainment, and experiences.
Hai Dang Aquaculture Co., Ltd., with over 20
years of aquaculture experience in the Hoa Binh reservoir, showcased its live
specialty fish and shrimp, alongside a variety of processed products. Many of
these items meet 3-star and 4-star OCOP standards.
Recognising the potential of integrating cage
fish farming with tourism, the company has expanded its hands into eco-tourism
services, offering restaurants, accommodations, and professional guided boat
tours. Their efforts aim to attract both domestic and international visitors to
the region, often referred to as the "Halong Bay of the mountains".
The Hoa Binh reservoir area has significant
potential for developing aquaculture alongside eco-tourism, community tourism,
and leisure activities, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development. The province currently maintains 2,695 hectares of fish farming in
reservoirs and 4,987 fish cages, with an estimated 2024 aquaculture production
of 12,500 tonnes. Fish cage farming on the Da River has become a major
contributor to the agricultural sector's growth.
Efforts to align aquaculture with eco-tourism
are part of a broader initiative to establish the Hoa Binh reservoir as a
National Tourism Area, per Resolution 14-NQ/TU. Presently, the area boasts over
100 lodging facilities employing 1,200 workers, and approximately 300 tourist
transport vehicles. An interconnected network of restaurants, tourist sites,
and lake experiences has created a diverse tourism ecosystem, increasingly
appealing to visitors.
These developments highlight promising
opportunities for local authorities and communities to expand cage fish farming
and tourism, positioning the Hoa Binh reservoir as a leading economic and
tourism hub in Vietnam’s ethnic minority regions.
Dao Village’s honey – a product certified with a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) rating by Thong Nhat Agricultural Cooperative in Dao Village (Hoa Binh City) – is highly regarded by consumers for its quality, richness, and variety in packaging. The distinctively sweet taste of Dao Village’s honey leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has tried it.
In alignment with Project No. 07-DA/TU, issued by the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on November 1, 2021, Lac Thuy district has actively promoted investment and supported the sustainable development of its industrial and handicraft sectors during the 2021–2025 period. Alongside this, the district has remained committed to preserving and revitalising traditional craft villages.
Located in the northern part of Lac Thuy district, with a temperate climate and fertile soil, Phu Thanh commune has great potential and advantages in growing tea. The long-standing experience, combined with strict adherence to organic farming practices in the tea gardens, ensures that the dried tea products from Phu Thanh and Lac Thuy as a whole are sold out immediately upon production, providing a stable and prosperous life for the local people.
Amid efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus, Hoa Binh province has intensified measures to address challenges in land clearance, resettlement support, and infrastructure investment, aiming to speed up the progress of key projects.
Hoa Binh province has posted an unprecedented economic growth rate of 12.76% in the first quarter of 2025, marking its highest quarterly performance to date and positioning it as the second fastest-growing locality in the country, trailing only Bac Giang province.
Under current regulations, products in the One Commune – One Product (OCOP) programme that are rated three stars or higher must undergo re-evaluation every three months. However, in reality, some of these products fail to consistently meet the required standards, raising concerns about the sustainability of their OCOP certification. This underscores the urgent need for producers to enhance product quality and gradually develop their OCOP products into strong, marketable brands.
