Members of Phú Lai Agricultural Cooperative in Yên Thủy District, Hòa Bình Province prepare pickled pearl onions for export to the UK. — Photos courtesy of the Culture, Sports and Communication Centre of Yên Thủy District

HÒA BÌNH — Pearl onions have been grown for a long time in Hòa Bình Province's Yên Thủy District, and have become a popular side dish in the local diet.

Yên Thủy District currently has more than 130 hectares dedicated to pearl onion farming, with the majority of it concentrated in Phú Lai Commune.

From a beloved traditional food, many families in Phú Lai have decided to expand their cultivation areas and produce onions commercially.

To increase the value of this local crop, the Phú Lai Agricultural Co-operative has started developing its onions into a brand: ‘Yên Thủy Pickled Pearl Onions’.

According to Bùi Văn An, director of Phú Lai Agricultural Co-operative, the pearl onion cultivation area in Phú Lai was gradually expanded in 2020, after the commune received a trademark certification from the Intellectual Property Office.

In 2022, the co-operative's pickled onions were awarded a three-star One Commune One Product (OCOP) certification, which gave them an edge in reaching national and international markets.

In October 2024, the first batch of Yên Thủy pickled pearl onions was exported to the UK, marking a significant milestone for the co-operative.

A lot of effort has gone into ensuring that the onions’ quality and packaging meet international requirements.

Bùi Thị Hiền, a member of Phú Lai Agricultural Co-operative directly involved in the production of the onions, said that extra attention and care were put into the exported batch.

“The ratio of water, salt and onions was calculated carefully, with the highest precision possible. The finest onion bulbs were selected since they were very young,” she said.

“We really hope that this product will be known widely, not only in the country but also around the world,” Hiền added. “If the pickled onions can be exported regularly, their value will increase, and our farmers will have more confidence to expand their crops.”

To meet export requirements, the production process had followed strict food safety standards, without the use of preservatives, An from Phú Lai Agricultural Co-operative said.

“Each onion is carefully selected, cleaned, fermented and packaged in glass jars to maintain its unique flavour, medicinal properties and crispness,” he said.

The jars and product bags are then labelled with full information about the onions’ origin, including barcodes and traceability data, according to the director. For exports, each jar weighs 390 grams and meets the packaging and quality standards required by the UK.

Yên Thủy pickled pearl onions are preserved in glass jars, each weighing 390 grams.

Grown local, going global

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hương, director of the R.Y.B Joint Stock Company, which delivered the onions to the UK, said: "We, along with our import partner, chose Yên Thủy pickled pearl onions from thousands of OCOP-certified products from several localities.

“The onions are a promising product for international markets because they are easy to preserve, ready to use, made from natural sources, and good for health. These qualities make them suitable for current export market trends and demands."

After this first export order, the company plans to work with Yên Thủy producers to expand production and develop more export orders, if the onions meet the UK market’s requirements.

They would also explore the potential to export similar high-quality processed agricultural products, Hương said.

The shipment of onions in October was the first batch of processed agricultural products from Yên Thủy District to be introduced to the UK market.

Hòa Bình Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development had worked closely with the provincial People’s Committee to guide and support Phú Lai Co-operative before the export, said Nguyễn Hồng Yến, head of Hòa Bình Province’s Plant Protection and Cultivation Division.

Agricultural officials helped farmers standardise raw material sources, as well as improve their processing and packaging techniques, he said.

“Before packaging and shipping, product samples were tested and proven to meet food safety standards set by the EU and the UK," Yến said.

The export was an outstanding achievement for agricultural production in Yên Thủy District, according to Bùi Thị Xanh, deputy head of Yên Thủy’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

"This is a positive sign, which opens a new direction for our district’s unique product and promotes the shift toward commercial crop production," she said.

“We hope that the demand for our onions will increase so that they can be introduced to more markets around the world, not only the UK.”

To support local businesses like the Phú Lai Co-operative in improving product quality, the department guided their production to comply with VietGAP standards, Xanh said.

The agricultural authorities planned to continue organising investment promotion programmes and encouraging production units to participate in trade and product marketing events, she said.

"We will also provide training on the use of technology in production to enhance their capabilities, and make sure that the quantity and quality of the products meet the requirements of domestic and international markets," Xanh said. — VNS