Growing area codes are no longer merely a mandatory requirement for official exports. They are increasingly becoming an important tool that enables cooperatives to standardize production, enhance traceability, and increase the value of agricultural products. However, alongside opportunities to expand into international markets comes growing pressure to maintain standards and manage production areas in accordance with increasingly stringent requirements imposed by importing countries.

According to the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, registering a growing area code should not be viewed as an administrative burden for farmers or cooperatives. Instead, it serves as an economic and technical instrument that helps position Vietnamese agricultural products within higher-value market segments.

Products bearing legally recognized traceability labels and protected trademarks can create a significant competitive advantage, helping increase export value by 20–30% compared to conventional agricultural products.

Cooperatives become the leading force in managing growing area codes

Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment show that by May 2026, Vietnam had issued 9,546 growing area codes and 1,525 packing facility codes supporting exports of fresh fruit to markets including the United States, the European Union, China, Australia, South Korea, and Japan.

In many localities, cooperatives and cooperative groups continue to be the primary holders of growing area codes.

For example, data updated on June 8, 2026, by the Can Tho agricultural sector show that the city had successfully issued and integrated 648 growing area codes into its management system.

These figures demonstrate the locality’s proactive adaptation to global technical standards and its commitment to applying technology in field management to transform export practices.

Notably, the ownership structure of growing area codes in Can Tho reflects the Government’s broader development strategy of strengthening the collective economy.

The cooperative model has emerged as the leading force in organizing production linkages, managing 422 growing area codes and accounting for 65.1% of the locality’s total registered codes.

This highlights the strong progress cooperatives have made in moving beyond fragmented small-scale farming toward large-scale concentrated production areas that comply with international standards.

Cooperative groups rank second, holding 146 growing area codes, equivalent to 22.5% of the total. They serve as an important intermediary model that connects smallholder farmers before they transition into full cooperative structures.

Enterprises, which often act as lead investors, contract buyers, and organizers of specialized production, currently manage 80 growing area codes, representing 12.4% of the total.

The focus on growing area registration is generating tangible benefits for cooperatives and cooperative groups.

A notable example can be found in the durian production areas serving exports to China, where strict code management is required.

Hung Loi 1, Hung Loi 2, and Hung Loi 3 Agricultural Cooperatives in Can Tho have become leading examples by proactively standardizing raw material zones covering 13.5 hectares, 12.7 hectares, and 11.6 hectares respectively to support official exports.

Also in Can Tho, Tan Thoi 1 Cooperative has successfully organized 33 farming households and standardized 25.7 hectares of export-qualified durian production.

Further integration into global value chains can be seen through the strategic partnership between Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Co., Ltd. and Tan Trung Thanh Cooperative, jointly managing a 53.27-hectare Ri6 durian production area.

Meanwhile, Tan Xuan Durian Cooperative Group has successfully brought 10.6 hectares of durian into the official export channel through the establishment of a certified growing area code.

This transformation is not limited to premium fruit sectors.

It is spreading across a wide range of agricultural products, including Thanh Thang Agricultural Cooperative in Can Tho, which has incorporated 323.1 hectares of pineapple cultivation from 147 farming households into the growing area code management system.

In the vegetable and short-term crop segment, Long Tri A Safe Agricultural Cooperative manages 21.8 hectares of watermelon, lettuce, and mustard greens, while Samaki Organic Agricultural Cooperative has developed certified organic shallot-growing areas covering 7.86 hectares and 9.9 hectares.

These cooperatives are demonstrating a sustainable development path through clean agriculture and transparent information systems supported by QR-code traceability.

Only 10% of growing area codes are fully monitored and maintained

Despite progress in code issuance, experts note that many cooperatives and farmers across the country still lack a clear understanding of the regulations, requirements, and technical standards imposed by importing markets.

As a result, registration dossiers frequently require revisions and additional documentation, delaying export activities for purchasing enterprises.

Weaknesses also exist at the grassroots level.

In some areas, commune-level authorities have not yet become actively involved in communication efforts, farmer mobilization, or verification of participant consent within registered production zones.

Even more concerning is the management and maintenance of growing area codes after approval.

Agricultural sector data reveal a significant gap: only around 10% of registered growing area codes nationwide currently submit self-monitoring reports and maintain compliance documentation as required.

Record-keeping through field diaries, whether in paper or digital format, remains fragmented and inconsistent, increasing the risk of warnings or even code suspension by importing countries.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Thang, Director of Thuong Nong Agricultural Cooperative in Phu Tho Province, explained that despite coordinating dozens of households across tens of hectares of banana production, just a few members failing to comply with pest management requirements or using unauthorized pesticides could place the cooperative’s entire growing area code at risk of suspension.

Similarly, for the 573-hectare durian production area managed by Hiep Duc Agricultural Services Cooperative in Dong Thap Province, maintaining production records to support QR-code traceability remains a major challenge for the cooperative’s management team.

At the same time, gaps in local government oversight remain evident.

Although procedures for reviewing and approving growing area code authorization documents have been implemented at the commune level, annual monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of linkage arrangements are often incomplete or delayed.

In some localities, slow processing of documents related to growing areas and packing facilities is unintentionally creating bottlenecks for exporters.

To go further, agricultural products need both growing area codes and brands

According to agricultural economists, growing area codes do not replace intellectual property rights. Rather, they serve as a critical technical guarantee that allows intellectual property assets to realize their commercial value when cooperatives seek access to international markets.

While collective trademarks and geographical indications provide legal identity, ownership protection, and regional reputation, growing area codes function as the technical mechanism that verifies products meet the quality standards associated with those protected identities.

Dr. Tran Huu Phuc of the College of Agriculture, Can Tho University, noted that a product may possess a strong geographical indication, but without a growing area code it cannot be exported through official channels.

Conversely, products that possess growing area codes but lack intellectual property protection remain vulnerable to brand misuse, market exploitation, and price pressure in international markets.

These two elements are inseparable components of an official export passport.

The practical case of Can Tho provides a clear example.

When Chanh Thu Fruit Company partnered with Tan Trung Thanh Cooperative to manage a 53.27-hectare Ri6 durian production area, the partnership represented far more than sharing a GACC-registered growing area code.

It combined the strengths of a company possessing commercial expertise and protected trademarks with a cooperative managing a valuable community-based intellectual asset in the form of a specialty production area that had been standardized and digitized through growing area code registration.

When growing area codes are integrated with QR-code traceability systems, as demonstrated by Samaki Organic Agricultural Cooperative and Long Tri A Cooperative, intellectual property becomes more than a certificate on paper.

It is transformed into tangible economic value embedded in every export shipment.

For this reason, investing in growing area codes alongside intellectual property protection has become a key strategy for cooperatives seeking to move beyond anonymous commodity trading and toward branded agricultural products with distinct identities and internationally protected value.

Source: VnBusiness