Unlocking Lai Chau’s unique agricultural potential for a green economy

On the afternoon of April 16, VAN News, in coordination with the Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Lai Chau Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, held a press briefing to provide information on the conference “Developing Commodity Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs toward a Green Economy,” which will take place in Lai Chau Province on April 23-24, 2026.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Le Trong Dam, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of VAN News, stated that in recent years, developing agriculture toward a commodity-based, sustainable, and environmentally friendly model has become an inevitable trend, as well as an urgent requirement to enhance added value and competitiveness in the agricultural sector.

For Lai Chau and other mountainous provinces, this is not only a development direction but also a key solution to effectively harness advantages in land, climate, and biodiversity, thereby improving livelihoods, especially for ethnic communities in highland areas.

“Lai Chau is considered a locality with strong potential for developing commodity agriculture and medicinal herbs, thanks to its diverse ecosystem, distinctive climate, and a range of endemic products with high economic value,” he noted.

However, according to the Deputy Editor-in-Chief, the province still faces a number of challenges in its development process, including small-scale production, fragile value chain linkages, limited processing capacity, and unstable markets.

Therefore, the conference “Developing Commodity Agriculture and Medicinal Herbs toward a Green Economy” is of great practical significance, aiming to define long-term development orientations and propose solutions to strengthen linkages, attract investment, and enhance the added value of key agricultural products in the locality.

As the media agency under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, entrusted by the Ministry and the Lai Chau Provincial People’s Committee to coordinate with the Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in organizing the press briefing and communications for the event, VAN News clearly recognizes its responsibility not only to provide timely and accurate information but also to help disseminate orientations toward green and sustainable agricultural development.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong, Deputy Director of the Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Environment, added that in implementing the Resolution of the Lai Chau Provincial Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term, the province has identified the development of commodity agriculture and medicinal herbs toward a green economy as one of the key breakthroughs for the agricultural sector in the coming period.

On that basis, the Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee has issued a thematic resolution on developing commodity agriculture and medicinal herbs toward a green economy, serving as a guiding foundation for the entire sector.

To operationalize the goals and viewpoints set out in the resolution, Lai Chau Province has proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment organize this thematic conference. The objective is to clearly define orientations for sustainable agricultural development associated with the transition to a circular economy, emission reduction, and climate change adaptation; while comprehensively analyzing the province’s potential, advantages, as well as challenges in developing its key agricultural products.

The conference will take place over two days, April 23-24, in Lai Chau Province, with approximately 250-300 in-person participants and 300-400 joining online.

The agenda will focus on key issues such as promoting sustainable agriculture in line with green transformation; enhancing the value chains of agricultural and medicinal products; developing raw material zones, deep processing, and agricultural branding; strengthening linkages among enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers; and expanding market access.

A notable highlight of the conference will be its side activities aimed at fostering practical connections and partnerships. In particular, an exhibition area featuring around 50 booths will showcase OCOP products and key agricultural goods, including specialty items, deeply processed products, environmentally friendly goods, and those with clear traceability.

Importantly, the conference will also host the signing of MoUs among regulatory agencies, departments, research institutes, industry associations, enterprises, and cooperatives. These agreements will focus on developing raw material areas, technology transfer, production linkages, processing, and the marketing of agricultural and medicinal products in line with a green economy.