Dream of a greener Lai Chau

In line with the orientation set by the 15^th Lai Chau Provincial Party Congress, the development of medicinal plant-based commodity agriculture under a green economy approach has been identified as a breakthrough. The goal is to make the most of local potential, raise incomes, and move toward sustainable growth.

With this strategic vision, Lai Chau People’s Committee, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, will organize a conference on developing commodity agriculture and medicinal plants toward a green economy.

The conference is scheduled to take place from April 23 to 24 at the Lai Chau Cultural and Convention Center. Ahead of the event, VAN News conducted an interview with Ha Trong Hai, Vice Chairman of the Lai Chau People’s Committee, to clarify the goals and aspirations for agriculture in this far Northwestern province.

“Green is inevitable"

Sir, the 15^th Congress of Lai Chau province identified a strategy for developing integrated, multi-valued commodity agriculture and organic agriculture to reduce emissions. How has this strategy been concretized in recent times?

In Lai Chau’s development strategy, agriculture is no longer seen as a traditional production sector but is being repositioned as a foundational pillar of growth tied to the province’s broader economic transformation. The province recognizes that growth can no longer rely on expanding land or exploiting natural resources, but must shift toward increasing value per unit of product and land.

This is why the concept of “integrated, multi-value commodity agriculture” has been introduced. It implies not only the production of agricultural goods but also the integration of ecological, cultural, tourism, and service values. For example, a medicinal plant cultivation area can also become a destination for experiential tourism, thereby enhancing value across the chain.

At the same time, Lai Chau has embraced organic, low-emission agriculture as an inevitable direction. In the context of climate change and growing demand for green consumption, establishing quality standards, traceability, and branding serves as both a “passport” for products and a basis for improving competitiveness. This also enables Lai Chau’s products to integrate more deeply into domestic and international value chains.

To achieve an annual growth target of approximately 4.5% for the agriculture and environment sector, the province must transform from quantity-based growth to quality-based growth, and from a production mindset to an agricultural economic mindset.

New policies to attract agricultural investment

To realize those goals, what mechanisms and policies is Lai Chau implementing to attract businesses to invest in the agricultural sector, and what are the new aspects of these policies compared to the past?

Lai Chau has been implementing a relatively comprehensive policy system to attract business investment in agriculture. The provincial People’s Council has issued several key resolutions, including Resolution No. 12 on investment support in agriculture, Resolution No. 13 on encouraging production, processing, and consumption, and Resolution No. 46 on forestry development.

Notably, during this term, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 12 on developing commodity agriculture and medicinal plants under a green economy approach, which serves as a guiding framework for the transformation process.

Based on these directions, the provincial People’s Committee is further detailing practical mechanisms, focusing on supporting businesses in accessing land, credit, developing raw material areas, and connecting markets.

A key shift in this phase is the move from supporting production scale to supporting quality and value. While previous policies focused on expansion, the current approach prioritizes standards, certifications, traceability, and green transformation. Lai Chau’s agricultural products can therefore stand firm in an increasingly competitive market.

One important thing is that the province is committed to accompanying businesses by accelerating administrative reform, ensuring transparency, and creating a stable and favorable investment environment. This is essential for encouraging long-term, sustainable investment.

Removing bottlenecks, unlocking potential

It can be said that Lai Chau still faces several bottlenecks, particularly in infrastructure and market connectivity. What proposals and recommendations does the province have to overcome these bottlenecks, unlock local potential, and what commitments does Lai Chau make to become an attractive destination for investors in its journey towards green economic development?

Despite its advantages in forest resources, medicinal plants, eco-tourism, and border trade, Lai Chau still faces major bottlenecks, particularly in infrastructure and market connectivity. Limited transport infrastructure increases logistics costs, reducing competitiveness and constraining investment attraction.

To address this, the province has proposed central government support for strategic infrastructure, especially the CT13 expressway connecting Bao Ha (Lao Cai province) to Lai Chau. Once completed, this route will not only shorten distances but also open up new development space for trade, tourism, and investment flows.

At the same time, Lai Chau recognizes that it cannot rely solely on external support. The province needs  to proactively improve its internal investment environment through continued administrative reform and the development of flexible and effective public-private partnership mechanisms.

Looking ahead, Lai Chau aims to build a green economic ecosystem where agriculture, tourism, industry, and services are closely interconnected. In this system, agriculture will serve as the core, spreading value to other sectors.

With improved infrastructure, refined policies, and a renewed development mindset, Lai Chau has the potential to transform from a disadvantaged province into a bright spot for green economic development in the Northwest.

Thank you very much!

Conference on “Developing commodity agriculture and medicinal plants toward a green economy”

- Organizers: Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Lai Chau People’s Committee

- Time: April 23 - 24, 2026

- Venue: Lai Chau Provincial Cultural and Convention Center

- Host: Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Lai Chau People’s Committee

- Media sponsor: VAN News

- Format: In-person and online via Zoom (morning of April 24, 2026)

Zoom ID: 975 2537 2977 | Passcode: DL2404