HOA BINH: Pearl onions have been grown for a long time in Hoa Binh Province’s Yen Thuy District, and have become a popular side dish in the local diet.
Yen Thuy District currently has more than 130 ha dedicated to pearl onion farming, with the majority of it concentrated in Phu Lai Commune.
From a beloved traditional food, many families in Phu Lai have decided to expand their cultivation areas and produce onions commercially.
To increase the value of this local crop, the Phu Lai Agricultural Co-operative has started developing its onions into a brand: Yen Thuy Pickled Pearl Onions.
According to Bui Van An, director of Phu Lai Agricultural Co-operative, the pearl onion cultivation area in Phu 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 Yen Thuy pickled pearl onions was exported to the United Kingdom, 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.
Bui Thi Hien, a member of Phu 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,” Hien 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 Phu 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 390g and meets the packaging and quality standards required by the United Kingdom.
R.Y.B Joint Stock Co director Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, which delivered the onions to the United Kingdom, said: “We, along with our import partner, chose Yen Thuy pickled pearl onions from thousands of OCOP-certified products from several localities.” — Viet Nam News/ANN
