For many years, although the kumquat trees in the area grew well and produced high-quality fruit, they were mainly sold as fresh produce. This reality resulted in low added value for the product; output and selling prices depended entirely on the season, market supply and demand, and the pricing of traders. Especially during peak harvest season, the pressure to sell the produce weighed heavily on farmers, posing a risk of oversupply or price drops.
Recognizing that the 3.6-hectare raw material area, cultivated according to VietGAP standards with approximately 9,000 trees (of which 4,000 are currently producing fruit, yielding 30 tons per year), was not yet fully exploited, Dang Thi Kim Oanh decided to shift her mindset from "producing and selling fresh fruit" to "developing a value chain from raw materials to finished products and markets." From there, a closed-loop process from planting, harvesting, sorting to deep processing and digital commerce was established.
Dang Thi Kim Oanh shared: "Instead of putting all 30 tons of kumquats on the market for fresh sale, the project flexibly allocates the raw materials, dedicating about 3 to 5 tons of high-quality fruit to processing. This creates a diverse product ecosystem, catering to various customer segments."
Products from the project include convenient kumquat syrup with rock sugar; healthy kumquat, ginger, and honey syrup; chewy and fragrant kumquat, ginger, and honey candied fruit; nutritious kumquats soaked in honey; and especially, a kumquat dipping sauce made from kumquats as a specialty spice.
Notably, 3/4 of the project's products have achieved OCOP 3-star certification, creating a solid foundation for the brand to expand into demanding markets. Beyond traditional kumquat varieties, the project also boasts a significant advantage from its seedless kumquat seed source, creating a unique user experience and optimizing processing.
With the project "Developing the VietGAP kumquat value chain linked to the deep processing of OCOP products," Kim Oanh has solved the economic problem. If they sell 25 to 27 tons of fresh kumquats at an average price of 18,000 VND/kg, the revenue would range from approximately 450 to 486 million VND per year. However, by simply using over 4 tons of raw kumquats for processing, the revenue has reached over 650 million VND per year through the sale of high value-added products such as kumquat juice concentrate (90,000 VND/500ml bottle) or candied kumquats and syrup (80,000 VND/jar).
Kim Oanh shared that after deducting expenses such as raw materials, packaging, labor, and marketing, this processing operation is expected to generate a pre-tax profit of over 180 million VND, while also completely addressing the concern of "bumper harvests leading to price drops." Notably, the project not only aims to generate profit but also aspires to a circular economy. Instead of being discarded and polluting the environment, all by-products from the processing are collected and processed to create organic fertilizer, which is then used to fertilize the 3.6-hectare kumquat growing area.
To access the wider market, the project doesn't passively wait for traders but proactively applies digital technology . Products are labeled with clear QR codes for traceability and distributed through multiple channels, from specialty stores and agents to the Zalo mini-app, website, social media, and e-commerce platforms.
"This award is the result of many days of deliberation and also proof that the direction of linking agriculture with deep processing is absolutely correct. This is the motivation for me to continue realizing my goal: creating a value chain, developing a product into a brand and bringing agricultural products from my hometown of Lao Cai to larger markets," Dang Thi Kim Oanh confided.
With a well-structured roadmap, in the 2026-2027 phase, the project will continue to stabilize the raw material supply area and invest in upgrading equipment such as filling machines, labeling machines, and drying machines to improve uniformity and productivity. When the projected raw material output reaches 50 tons/year in 2027, the amount of kumquats processed will continue to expand. Furthermore, from 2030 onwards, the model will not be limited to family-scale production but will aim to link the raw material supply area with surrounding households, expand the factory, and integrate the Lao Cai kumquat product ecosystem into major distribution chains nationwide.
Dang Thi Kim Oanh's initial success in the 2026 startup arena serves as a powerful source of inspiration for rural youth, affirming the truth in the new era: Traditional agriculture can absolutely break through and generate high economic value if there is innovative thinking, a desire to get rich, and the keenness of young people in the face of the circular economy and digital transformation trends.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/khi-quat-vietgap-buoc-vao-san-choi-ocop-post911045.html
