BANACO AND ITS BRAND STORY
- Introduction to Phu Tho - a Land of Agricultural Abundance:
Nestled at the intersection of the Northern mountainous region and the Red River Delta, Phu Tho stands at the heart of Northern Vietnam's fertile triangular land. Blessed with the confluence of the Thao, Lo, and Da Rivers, this region is famed for its rare agricultural products, warm-hearted people, and breathtaking landscapes. Phu Tho, the sacred ancestral land and cradle of the ancient Van Lang state, epitomizes the harmony between humans, nature, and the heavens, enriched by the fertile alluvial deposits from its three great rivers.
Thanks to its favorable hydrogeographical features, Phu Tho has blossomed into a major agricultural hub in Northern Vietnam. Throughout two resistance wars against foreign invaders, the resilient and intelligent people of Phu Tho forged their character as soldiers, artisans, and farmers. Among the numerous products from Phu Tho that have gained nationwide recognition, agricultural products such as bananas, pineapples, longans, mangoes, grapefruits, and tea plants stand out as symbols of the region's bounty.
Bananas, in particular, play a pivotal role in Phu Tho's agricultural landscape. This crop is not only easy to grow and harvest but also offers substantial economic benefits. After harvesting, banana stems and branches serve various purposes, including livestock feed, fertilizer, decorative materials, and supplementary food. These versatile characteristics make bananas a staple crop in the fertile alluvial land of Phu Tho.
Currently, Phu Tho boasts seven designated banana-growing regions recognized by the Plant Protection Department, ensuring they meet stringent export conditions. With extensive riverbank alluvial land, bananas are well-suited for large-scale production in the province. Covering over 3,700 hectares, Phu Tho's banana cultivation is one of the few fruit crops eligible for export. The average yield across the province exceeds 243 tons per hectare, with total production surpassing 81,000 tons. The main banana varieties grown include Cavendish (both green and red), plantain, and local "Phan Vang" bananas.
In Phu Tho, the cultivation of bananas not only boosts the local economy but also stands as a testament to the region's agricultural prowess and dedication to sustainable farming practices.
- Challenges in Market Access for Agricultural Products in Phu Tho:
Despite Phu Tho being an agriculturally rich region with numerous advantages, one of the foremost challenges for farmers is market access for their products. Fresh produce can be exported to foreign markets such as China, Europe, and the United States, but this requires strict preservation methods, significant costs, and adherence to stringent partner standards. We still remember the story of 2021 when thousands of tons of bananas from various Northern provinces of Vietnam were stuck at the border crossing into China due to stalled customs clearance policies, resulting in the cessation of imports by our neighboring country. When ripe bananas come to fruition and cannot be brought to market for consumption, the only recourse is disposal or conversion into livestock feed. Moreover, the logistics of returning the products from the border gate back to their point of origin further diminishes the farmers' income.
Faced with such substantial obstacles regarding fresh agricultural products, investing in new technologies, machinery, and human resources to diversify market outlets for these products has become an urgent issue. It is time for us to no longer rely solely on exporting unprocessed fresh products but to develop a long-term strategy for fresh agricultural products. Based on these challenges, the founders of BANACO Company have decided to stand in solidarity with farmers, devising a processing formula from fresh bananas into processed products that can be long-term preserved, meet food safety standards, and importantly, can be exported to stringent markets at any time without being limited to specific harvesting seasons. This not only resolves the market access issue for Phu Tho's banana region but also provides employment for hundreds of workers and local farmers.
With traditional banana processing technology inherited from our ancestors over the past decades and now developed into a factory incorporating new technological secrets used in the production of dried agricultural products and organic biological preservation methods, Banaco has become a leading agricultural processing enterprise in Phu Tho. From here, products like Banaco dried bananas, dried mangoes, dried jackfruits, dried papayas, and dried passion fruits have been introduced to meet the demands of the Vietnamese market. Banaco also exports its dried agricultural products to various countries worldwide such as China, European countries, Russia, and Japan.
- The Story of a Multi-Generational Heritage Brand
To build the BANACO brand we know today, we began with the sincere and diligent efforts of our family members in the early days. My mother, Mrs. Anh Hong, started producing dried bananas in the early 1990s when our country transitioned to a market economy. These first dried banana products, born out of curiosity, self-study, and the use of manual drying ovens, were well-received in the domestic market thanks to continuous improvements by our family. The brand "Bà Ánh Hồng Dried Bananas" in Lam Thao, Phu Tho, emerged from these efforts. Initially popular only in the Phu Tho region, the brand gradually expanded to Hanoi and other northern provinces, becoming a cherished gift for those visiting the sacred land of the Hung Kings' Ancestral Land.
In 2023, after years of research and learning new technologies, especially modern drying techniques using advanced machinery, we decided to expand production. We transformed our old model and established a production plant right in our homeland. This new facility allowed us to create and distribute batches of dried bananas, jackfruits, mangoes, and more, nationwide. BANACO also proactively engaged with foreign partners, exporting to demanding markets such as China, Europe, and Russia. The rapid expansion of our production scale involved collaborating with local farmers to cultivate hundreds of hectares of new farmland, ensuring a sustainable source of raw materials. In 2024, hundreds of shipments exported to Europe marked a significant leap forward for BANACO.
From these achievements, BANACO has adopted the principle for its products: FRESH ingredients, DELICIOUS products, and always accompanying the FARMERS.