Nguyễn Văn Cường, director of the Cường Nga Honey Cooperative (left), at a honey product exhibition in Hà Tĩnh Province. Photo courtesy of Cường Nga Honey Cooperative

HÀ TĨNH — Blessed with a mountainous terrain rich in wildflowers, the people of Hương Sơn in the central province of Hà Tĩnh have long practised beekeeping as a traditional livelihood. For generations, honey was produced in small quantities for personal use, rarely reaching markets beyond the local area due to outdated methods and limited yields.

Nguyễn Văn Cường, director of the Cường Nga Honey Cooperative in Đồng Tiến Village, Quang Diệm Commune, has changed that. Through innovation and a commitment to quality, he has elevated the value of Hương Sơn honey, secured stable market access and laid the foundation for sustainable beekeeping in the region.

In 2014, Cường founded the Tình Diệm Beekeeping Cooperative Group in Sơn Diệm Commune, uniting seven households with a shared passion for apiculture. When the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme launched in 2019, all seven members transitioned into the Cường Nga Honey Cooperative, with a registered capital of VNĐ700 million (US$26,960).

Thanks to Hương Sơn District’s pristine forest ecosystem, the bees collect nectar from a diverse range of native flowers.

The honey is produced under a tightly controlled, closed-loop process that strictly adheres to food safety and hygiene standards and meets VietGAP certification. By the end of 2019, the Cường Nga brand honey had earned a 3-star OCOP rating.

In 2024, the product was upgraded to a 4-star designation.

Born and raised in Hương Sơn, Cường grew up around bees. His family kept hives as part of their livelihood. After earning a degree in cultural management, he joined a foreign-funded beekeeping project, where he excelled in advanced techniques such as queen bee breeding for hive splitting – a complex skill that allows for scalable honey production.

Upon completing the programme, he was given two hives, marking the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

The turning point for the beekeeping industry in Quang Diệm Commune came with the OCOP initiative. Benefitting directly from State support, the original cooperative group evolved into a modern honey enterprise. With initial funding, Cường built a processing facility equipped with advanced moisture reduction and extraction systems, allowing for end-to-end production – from hive to bottle.

“At the time, it was the most advanced technology in Hà Tĩnh Province, and among the best in the central region,” Cường said.

Recognising the natural advantage of Hương Sơn District's expansive forest and abundant wild flora, the Cường Nga Cooperative expanded its membership to 18.

“In the early days, we could only pay beekeepers after selling the year’s harvest. Now, with better cash flow, we pay up front. This builds trust and helps the cooperative grow,” Cường said.

The cooperative now collaborates with 132 households across Hương Sơn, Can Lộc and Kỳ Anh districts to ensure a steady, high-quality honey supply. It provides equipment, bee breeds and technical training, and commits to purchasing all of the honey produced.

Each household or member typically maintains between 50 and 200 hives. Annually, the cooperative supplies around 2,000 bee colonies and produces approximately 20 tonnes of honey. In 2024 alone, output reached 2,500 colonies and 22 tonnes of honey.

Under the VietGAP model, members no longer worry about preservation or sales. After harvest, honey is processed using a system that includes coarse filtration, moisture reduction, fine filtration, automatic temperature control and hygienic bottling. This ensures every jar meets strict quality standards.

Thanks to this meticulous approach and strong local partnerships, Cường Nga Honey products have not only maintained their 3-star OCOP rating since 2019, but also earned a prestigious 4-star rating in 2024.

That same year, the cooperative's honey was honoured as one of the Top 100 Outstanding Rural Industrial Products in Việt Nam, the first honey product from Hương Sơn District, and Hà Tĩnh Province as a whole, to receive such national recognition.

“Việt Nam has no shortage of honey-producing regions,” Cường said, “but Hương Sơn honey has a distinct character from the wildflowers and the forest to the human hands and techniques that guide each hive.”

After a decade of tireless development, Cường Nga Honey products are now available in food stores and specialty supermarkets nationwide. In addition to in-store sales, the cooperative promotes its brand on social media platforms like Zalo and Facebook, and is gradually entering e-commerce.

Yet challenges remain. “I’d love to bring our honey to major supermarket chains,” Cường admitted, “but I worry about meeting their volume requirements. A chain with 1,000 stores needs at least 1,000 litres per order.”

He also highlighted the difficulty of securing credit. “We’re currently allowed to borrow VNĐ500 million ($19,260) a year, repaying VNĐ100 million ($3,850) annually. That makes it hard to reinvest and expand,” he said.

Cường said he hoped for more flexible and accessible financing mechanisms so cooperatives like his can grow to meet consumer demand. — VNS