MEETING NVHBP AND LAI CHAU AGRICULTURE ASSOCIATION

On Friday, April 7, 2023, at the Office of Lai Chau Agricultural Products Association, the first meeting of 2023 between the two Associations took place.

Attending the meeting were representatives of the Quality Management Sub-Department, under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Lai Chau, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Chairman of Lai Chau Agricultural Products Association, Ms. Mai Thi Hong, Vietnam Coordinator of the Netherlands – Vietnam Horticulture Business Platform (NVHBP) and representatives of the two Associations’ members.

The two sides re-evaluated the cooperation in the past year, details are:

  • In December 2021, the parties signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
  • In 2022, the parties supported to introduce agricultural products of Lai Chau Agricultural Products Association members into domestic distribution channels, consulted on organic agricultural production, guided the use of digital application for tracking the production on fields.
  • The parties had exchanged on varieties, growing techniques of vegetables and flowers, supporting the trade promotion on the Internet.
  • NVHBP introduced and sent flower and vegetable seeds to members of Lai Chau Agricultural Products Association.
  • Consulting on product development and market trend for members of Lai Chau Agricultural Products Association on rice, tea…

Proposals and recommendations for the activities in 2023:

  • The parties would continue sharing information on domestic and international markets.
  • NVHBP supports to set up the Website, Fanpage for Lai Chau Agricultural Products Association, promote practical and effective digitization in sales and marketing.
  • Introduce and connect Lai Chau Agricultural Products Association with cooperatives and associations in other provinces to share experiences and exchange goods between regions.
  • Promote the establishment of Vegetable and Flower sub-associations to conduct more specific works on this field in 2023.
  • The parties maintain regular contact, seek to implement suitable projects and business contracts.

 

NVHBP PARTICIPATES IN THE AWARD CEREMORY OF VIETNAMESE HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS IN 2023

On March 14, 2023, in Ho Chi Minh City, Representatives of the Netherlands – Vietnamese Horticulture Business Platform (NVBHP) had attended the Award Ceremony Vietnamese High Quality Products 2023 – voted by consumers.

Within the framework of the Ceremony, there was the Festival of Vietnamese High Quality Products with the display and introduction of Vietnamese High Quality products, green products for sustainable development.

And the Seminar “Vietnamese High Quality Products and the opportunity to rise up in the green economy”.

The Ceremony of 2023 has the theme: “27 years of High Quality Vietnamese Goods – a journey to a green economy”.

This is a special event of the year of the High Quality Vietnamese Products business community.

The Ceremony of this year is the place to honor 519 businesses with high quality products voted by consumers, with the attendance and meetings of trade promotion organizations, domestic and international buyers. The place for the economic experts, central leaders, Ho Chi Minh City and localities to share opinion, revolves around the story: Vietnamese High Quality Products – The core force of green economy and sustainable development.

The Netherlands – Vietnam Horticulture Business Platform (NVHBP) is pleased to become a companion with the High Quality Vietnamese Goods Association in 2023 and the following years.

NVHBP visits Dong Thap province

Saturday 4th March 2023, NVHBP and its members Ridder, Onings Holland Flowerbulbs, Thien Dieu, Danny Green and Koidra visited Dong Thap province. The platform firstly met the People Committee of Dong Thap province at the HortEx. This meeting was followed up by a visit to the province in which they visited the commercial trade center for flowers and ornamental plants and the High-Tech Agricultural Application Center in Sa Dec.

The People Committee of Dong Thap Province and NVHBP agreed on signing a MoU in order to collaborate more closely on three main points, namely:

  1. The introduction of new flower varieties suitable to cultivate in Dong Thap province;
  2. Exchange of horticultural knowledge, experience and technical solutions especially on technologies for adapting to the climate change, knowledge and experience exchange on post-harvest management and promotion and sales;
  3. Advise on the promotion and sales of flowers and ornamental plants in the commercial trade center.

As a first start, the parties will closely work out a pilot project for the cultivation of Amaryllis in the area.

NVHBP present at the HortEx

The Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform (NVHBP) together with its members Ridder, Onings Holland Flowerbulbs, Kenlog, KP Holland, Koidra, and KoKoFi were present at the HortEx 2023. During the exhibition, they received their partners in the booth and meet new potential partners.

On Thursday 2 March, the platform hosted the seminar ‘Bringing the Vietnamese horticulture sector to the next level by applying sustainable horticulture solutions which support in adapting to the climate change’. Firstly, the coordinators of NVHBP Ms. Mai Hong and Ms. Mirjam Boekestijn introduced NVHBP. Thereafter, Mr. Arjen Janmaat (Ridder) explained more about how to make your greenhouse greener in terms of sustainability and profitability. Then we dived into the future through the presentation of Ms. Hang (Koidra) about autonomous growing. Our last speaker, Mr. Paul Onings, talked about lily cultivation in practice in Vietnam.

The platform also joined the field visit to Da Lat on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 February which was organized by the Netherlands Embassy in Vietnam. The companies Phong Thuy farm, Dalat Hasfarm, NguyenLong mushroom company, and Langbiang farm were visited. A network reception on Monday evening was hosted at Greenbox. On Tuesday, the group had a courtesy visit to the People Committee of Lam Dong province.

 

Visit of Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment to World Horti Center

Wednesday afternoon February 22, the Vietnamese Minister of Planning and Investment, His Excellency Mr. Nguyen Chi Dung, and a delegation from his Ministry visited World Horti Center in Naaldwijk. The visit is a follow-up of the visit of the Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, last December. Inspired by this visit, the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment is conducting a feasibility study for a ‘World Horti Center’ in the environment of Hanoi.

The delegation was welcomed at World Horti Center by Mr. Pham Viet Anh, the Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Mr. Bouke Arends, Mayor of the municipality of Westland, Ms. Puck van Holsteijn, Director of World Horti Center, Mr. Frederik Vossenaar, Special Envoy Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and Ms. Mirjam Boekestijn, Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform (NVHBP).

After the welcome speeches, a more in-depth presentation about World Horti Center was given as well as a presentation by the Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform about the collaboration between Vietnamese and Dutch companies in the horticultural sector. At the end, a MoU was signed between Agency for Enterprise Development and NVHBP to empower Vietnam’s small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), enhance cooperation and boost the mutual economic development between both countries in the horticultural sector.

Thereafter, a tour was given through World Horti Center, the knowledge and innovation center of the food and flower industry. During the tour, the delegation listened to several pitches regarding important elements in the horticultural supply chain such as seeds, greenhouse construction, water and climate control, autonomous growing and indoor farming. Next to that, the Dutch companies told in more detail about their activities in Vietnam.

As HortEx Vietnam’s partner country in the last few years, the Netherlands is proud to introduce the largest international delegation with 32 Dutch companies at HortEx Vietnam 2023. You are welcome to visit the Netherlands Pavilion @B5 and the booth of Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform @L4 From 1st of March till the 3rd of March 2023 at SECC in Ho Chi Minh City.

Moreover, please be welcome to visit the seminar ‘Vietnam and the Netherlands working towards a sustainable horticulture sector’ organized by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam on Wednesday 1 March 15:30 – 17:00; NVHBP’s webinar ‘Bringing the Vietnamese horticulture sector to the next level by applying sustainable horticulture solutions which support in adapting to the climate change’ on Thursday 2 March 11:00 – 12:00.

Visit NVHBP @ the HortEx

NVHBP and its proud members Onings Holland Flowerbulbs, Ridder, KP Holland, Kenlog, Koidra and KoKoFi will be present at the HortEx taking place from 1 – 3 March at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC); we will invite you to our booth L4 (Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC)). Next to that, we would like to invite you to our webinar ‘Bringing the Vietnamese horticulture sector to the next level by applying sustainable horticulture solutions which support in adapting to the climate change’ on Thursday 2 March 11:00 – 12:00. First the coordinators Ms. Mai Hong and Ms. Mirjam Boekestijn will introduce NVHBP. Thereafter Mr. Arjen Janmaat (Ridder) will tell you more about how to make your greenhouse greener in terms of including sustainability and profitability. Then we will dive a bit in the future, Ms. Hang (Koidra) will talk about autonomous growing. Our last speaker, Mr. Paul Onings, will talk about lily cultivation in practice in Vietnam. We will end the session with a Q&A in which you can ask all your questions to the speakers. Moreover, please be also invited for the seminar ‘Vietnam and the Netherlands working towards a sustainable horticulture sector’ organized by the The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Vietnam which is taking place Wednesday 1 March 15:30 – 17:00.

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 2023

NVHBP VISIT DONG THAP HI-TECH AGRICULTURE APPLICATION CENTER

Following the visit of the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam Le Minh Hoan on December 13, 2022 to the World Horti Center in the Netherlands; on December 19, 2022, the representative of the Netherlands Vietnam Horticulture Business Platform (NVHBP) visited and worked with Dong Thap Center for Hi-tech Agricultural Application.

Dong Thap Provincial High-tech Agricultural Application Center was established on March 5, 2014, with its head office located in Tan Khanh Dong commune, Sa Dec city, with an area of over 18ha.

Every year, depending on the orders and consumption of the ornamental flower market, the Center grows and supplies products from models, research and survey of new varieties with the number of 15,000 – 30,000 plants/year;

The center has been applying high technology to production at the unit such as: Using greenhouses, net houses, sprinkler and drip irrigation systems in the process of producing and propagating ornamental flowers to help reduce production costs, reduce labor, increase the number of trees produced.

NVHBP with it’s below members:

1- K.P Holland Maasland B.V.

As a company specializing in the breeding and producing Kalanchoe, Spathiphyllum, Curcuma… It is expected to transfer technology to propagate and grow Curcuma plants, which can be used for indoor decoration (beautiful pots or cut flowers) and outdoors (fields, border and bedding plants), or used in cooking, durable, popular in Thailand, Malaysia… but has never been produced on a large scale in Vietnam.

2- P.F. Onings B.V.

As a company that exports tubers of lily, tulip, and hyacinth … from 65 years, has a lot of experience in Vietnam. Onings will deliver new varieties of Lily to Dong Thap, serving the Tet holiday, with high economic value, in the form of pots or cuttings.

3- Thien Dieu Trading and Production Joint Stock Company

Specializing in importing, planting and supplying flower bulbs and seeds of Dutch origin. As well as providing potted flowers, carpet flowers for real estate projects, high-class amusement parks. Thien Dieu will supply and transfer varieties of super flower pots, F1 with Dutch royalty, with many new colors, to meet the increasing demand of Sa Dec..

4- Eurofins Argo

Eurofin provides soil, water and plant nutrition testing services.

The parties agreed to collaborate on research on propagation and planting of Thai Turmeric (Siam Curcuma), Super Flower (Gerbera) and Ly (Lilium) of Dutch origin in Tan Khanh Dong in 2023.

NVHBP and VNUA sign cooperation agreement on knowledge exchange and technology transfer

On Monday 12 December 2022, the Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform (NVHBP) and Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) signed a cooperation agreement on knowledge exchange and technology transfer, for the period 2022-2027.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan, Director of VNUA and Mr. Henk van Eijk, Chairman of NVHBP exchanged the cooperation agreement during the Netherlands Vietnam Business Forum in the presence of including Vietnam’s Prime Minister H.E.. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, the Vietnamese minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Mr. Le Minh Hoan and the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation H.E. Ms. Liesje Schreinemacher.

Starting the Cooperation since 2019, both parties will continue to collaborate closely on knowledge exchange, research and the transfer & application of technologies focusing in the field of horticulture and smart agriculture, on the benefits of VNUA’s students and NVHBP’s members in particular, as well as for the development of the Vietnamese horticulture sector in general.

Prime Minister of Vietnam visits World Horti Center

Monday morning December 12, the Prime Minister of Vietnam, His Excellency Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, visited World Horti Center in Naaldwijk. In addition to the prime minister, among others, the Vietnamese ministers of Agriculture & Rural Development and Natural Resources & Environment were present. The most important pillars of this visit were business relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands, the development of a sustainable horticultural value chain and how education can contribute to climate-smart technologies.

Main focus on collaboration

The mayor of Westland, Bouke Arends, warmly welcomed the delegation to the municipality. In his speech he focused on the role of the Westland region as an agricultural and logistics hub and the relationship with Vietnam. Bouke Arends: ‘The ties and trade between our two countries in this area has been strong for many years with a Strategic Partnership Arrangement as a result.’ Mr. Frederik Vossenaar, Special Envoy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, emphasized in his speech: ‘The Netherlands is happy to be part of your success. And, in the interest of both our countries, we are looking forward to further work together. Building on our 50 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone we reach next year, in 2023.’ During his speech, the Prime Minister of Vietnam said that he sees the Netherlands as a top exporter of agricultural products and hoped to learn from the sector during his visit.

Exchange of knowledge and innovations

Employees from the companies RijkZwaan, NedSpice, Koppert and The Fruit Republic were present to give a pitch about their company. The focus was on the important cooperation with Vietnam. Furthermore, The Netherlands Vietnam Horti Business Platform explained how they are trying to take the Vietnamese horticultural sector to the next level by joining forces. The tour through World Horti Center was concluded with a visit to the research facility of Vertify. Here teachers from Lentiz Education Group explained how education and climate-smart solutions can be coordinated in Vietnam. A peek inside the All Climate Greenhouse was an important part of this last stop.

Puck van Holsteijn, director of World Horti Center, looks back proudly on thi visit: ‘I had the honor of giving the Prime Minister and his ministers a tour through our building. During this tour, several pitches were given by companies active in the food and flower industry, with a focus on cooperation between our countries. This has shown that it is important to continue to share our knowledge and innovations and to help each other in this way. We are proud that we have yet again provided another delegation with new knowledge about our sector.”

Sequel at HortEx Vietnam

From 1st of March till the 3rd of March 2023, the HortEx Vietnam will take place in Ho Chi Minh City. As a “Partner Country”, the Netherlands has a prominent role in supporting the fair and, in addition to a Dutch pavilion at the fair, the Dutch embassy will organize a number of activities such as a seminar programme, a network reception and field trips. For more information about HortEx Vietnam see hortex-vietnam.com.

Photographer: Rolf van Koppen