Building the national brand for Vietnamese agricultural products

The story of Thanh Thanh Cong Sugarcane

As Vietnam is deepening its integration with the global economy, the country has signed numerous trade agreements with countries and organisations, creating big opportunities to bring high value to its agricultural products. Although Vietnam is a leading exporter of agricultural products, most of the exports are raw products, while not many enterprises have succeeded in building their brands in foreign markets.

In this context, Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company (TTC AgriS, HoSE: SBT) has succeeded in building its brand by securing 46% of the domestic market share and exporting sugar products to 29 international markets. The company’s closed process from raw materials to production and sales is an outstanding achievement.

Good products come from healthy sugarcane

Ong mắt đỏ trưởng thành chỉ dài khoảng 1mm. Đây là loài sinh trưởng bằng cách ký sinh lên trứng những côn trùng có hại.

Ong mắt đỏ trưởng thành chỉ dài khoảng 1mm. Đây là loài sinh trưởng bằng cách ký sinh lên trứng những côn trùng có hại.

“Sugarcane is like humans; a healthy plant and strong resistance will prevent diseases and are a prerequisite for high productivity. I had to travel to the US, to places specialising in sugarcane production to come up with a standard farming process. I increased the ploughing depth from 30 centimetres to 60 centimetres, then learned about the local drought tolerance and rooting ability of sugarcane so that the production costs are similar to those of Thailand. I had to travel around the world to find ways to help farmers get rich with sugarcane," said Nguyen Van Thanh, Chairman of Thanh Thanh Cong.

In 2013, Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa (TTC AgriS) established the Thanh Thanh Cong Sugarcane Application and Research Institute (TTC ARI) to research and develop a sugarcane seed bank and implement programmes to create and supply seeds that meet standards, undertake research on farming techniques suitable to the soil conditions of each sugarcane cultivation area.

Developing sustainable sugarcane cultivation areas on the basis of “soil health” is also a research interest, with the focus on improving fertility, managing input nutrients, recommending appropriate fertilisation, rotating legume crops, adding organic substances to improve soil and other solutions to adapt to climate change.

One of the successes in sustainable sugarcane farming is the use of natural enemies to kill sugarcane stem borers.

Stem borers are particularly harmful and can reduce sugarcane productivity by 10-30%. In more severe cases, stem borer outbreaks can cause complete crop failure. Controlling sugarcane stem borers with chemicals is not easy and highly expensive, while effect is limited. Besides, spraying will affect the environment, cause harm to humans and animals, and reduce biodiversity.

An adult Trichogramma bee is just one 1 millimetres long. It grows by laying eggs on harmful insects.

An adult Trichogramma bee is just one 1 millimetres long. It grows by laying eggs on harmful insects.

Since 2018, TTC ARI has produced and released Trichogramma bees on over 6,000 hectares of sugarcane each year and has applied for an exclusive brand with the name “ABI Bee”.

Up to now, the raw material areas that have used ABI bees for many years have achieved positive results, with pest control situations very effective, pest rate only appears about 1-2%, and there are no pest outbreaks in most areas where ABI bees are used.

From these results, Thanh Thanh Cong-Bien Hoa Company has opened many training classes for farmers, agricultural staff, and technical staff to popularise this solution to raise awareness of biological measures to expand the scope of use in the future.

In addition, the unit has improved the method of raising rice moths to get eggs to raise ABI bees, the storage method, the parasitism method and the method of releasing bees in the field. From there, it is possible to produce a very large number of parasitic wasps for an area of up to 40,000 hectares at a cost competitive with the use of pesticides.

Along with using red-eyed bees in sugarcane fields, every 100m there is a scorching lamp trap. In the morning, each lamp post has thousands of pounds of worms, which is a food source for fish. 

To have healthy sugarcane plants, the research centre has successfully researched a special foliar fertiliser specifically used for sugarcane plants, fully supplementing macronutrients and micronutrients, suitable beneficial microorganisms with each physiological stage of sugarcane helps increase the efficiency of fertiliser use, stimulates sugarcane to grow faster through each growth stage, and at the same time increases resistance to pests and diseases. In particular, these high-quality products can apply drone technology to help increase efficiency in large fields and reduce operating costs.

To face increasingly complicated climate developments, drought and prolonged rain, TTC AgriS has boldly invested and developed mechanisation with deep ploughing equipment and high-capacity tractors from 90HP to 245HP, capable of ploughing at least 40cm deep on many different types of terrain. Deep ploughing has a great effect in helping sugarcane overcome weather changes, creating a solid foundation for the tree to stand firmly, grow and absorb nutrients well.

Up to now, the products of Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company are not only sugarcane. TTC AgriS is currently expanding its agricultural products to include sugarcane, coconut and other agricultural products, aiming to provide products that meet organic standards.

In the direction of the sustainable agricultural value chain, TTC AgriS has been gradually perfecting, enhancing operational capacity and promoting the leading role of Thanh Thanh Cong Sugarcane Research and Development Centre (SRDC).

SRDC will continue to invest and upgrade modern facilities with a team of scientists and directly develop Demo Farm models in raw material areas. Through this model, SRDC has quickly approached sugarcane growers to transfer and provide technical guidance and agricultural production management methods in the most appropriate and practical way.

In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, SRDC has continued to implement a 3-level seed programme, use tissue culture technology and breed one-eyed sugarcane to produce disease-free and purebred sugarcane seed sources reaching 326 hectares, with 13 varieties of sugarcane that are restored and supplied to raw material areas.

In addition, SRDC has researched and applied the intercropping and rotation models for green beans and cay suc sac (crotalaria pallida) to improve sugarcane land and promote the models of high-yield intensive sugarcane cultivation using microbial organic fertilisers, etc., to save costs and increase income. The model has been expanded to raw material areas in Cambodia and Laos. This is also the green agriculture trend that TTC AgriS is pursuing towards sustainable agricultural production, environmental protection, natural enemies and ecological balance.

To enhance the value and promote the inherent advantages of sugarcane, TTC AgriS has focused on solving three core issues systematically and following the characteristics of each raw material area, including funding agricultural land, agricultural production resources/services and agricultural production management by information technology systems.

SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF "BIG FIELD" FOR SUGARCANE

In response to the State’s equitisation programme of the sugar enterprises at the end of 1980, from a commercial unit, the company switched to production form with the prerequisite of owning the raw material area.

With leaders of the TTC AgriS, based on the large sample field, the increase of the mechanisation rate is a fundamental issue, affecting 80% of success for each sugar factory, and the efficiency will be outstanding so that "every component of a sugarcane can all be used” by implementing a closed production cycle.

The problem of large fields has long been a challenge for Vietnam’s agriculture, due to fragmented and small production practices. Without a large enough raw material area, it will be difficult for businesses to expand large-scale production to meet the market’s demand.

Thanh Thanh Cong-Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company currently owns raw material areas in four countries, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Australia, with a total area of more than 71,000 hectares.

With continuous efforts, Thanh Thanh Cong-Bien Hoa Joint Stock Company currently owns raw material areas in four countries, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Australia, with a total area of more than 71,000 hectares. This enterprise aims to increase the total area of global raw material areas to nearly 90,000 hectares by 2025.

The investment and development of large raw material areas are of strategic significance in ensuring harvested sugarcane output is supplied to the factory, optimising production line capacity, and improving competitiveness.

Promoting the mechanisation in sugarcane farming has helped TTC AgriS save human resources and reduce costs. The equipment is capable of ploughing at least 40cm deep on many different types of terrain, creating a solid foundation for trees to stand, grow and absorb nutrients well.

Promoting the mechanisation in sugarcane farming has helped TTC AgriS save human resources and reduce costs. The equipment is capable of ploughing at least 40cm deep on many different types of terrain, creating a solid foundation for trees to stand, grow and absorb nutrients well.

In addition to owned raw material areas, TTC AgriS has implemented a policy to support investment in land rental costs, help farmers accumulate large areas, increase farming scale, and form large fields. TTC AgriS has implemented a policy of investing in modern machinery and equipment to achieve farming efficiency and high harvest productivity in the form of deferred payment. The deferred payment period can last up to six harvest seasons.

Not only supporting farmers at the input stage, TTC AgriS also underwrites all raw sugarcane output, placing trust among sugarcane growers.

More and more farmers have become partners of TTC AgriS, which helps them own farming areas of tens to thousands of hectares and manage valuable agricultural machinery and equipment. A larger farming scale requires farmers to acquire experience to effectively manage and improve capacity and skills to become new-generation farm businesses.

As its sugarcane raw material areas are vast, spanning many different areas, TTC AgriS prioritises high-technology applications in management, focusing on field planning. All growing areas are planned, calculated, measured, and GPS positioned. The company also invests, maintains, and operates modern sugarcane irrigation systems, helping to save water in raw material areas and promoting the production and supply of biofertilizer products for sugarcane growers.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely applied in agricultural farming and management processes in raw material areas. Flying devices (flycams) are also used to collect information about altitude and contour lines of the drainage directions of the growing areas, evaluate the current growth status of the areas, as well as the floods, pests, and diseases, and thus take prompt actions to address any arising problem. In addition, using large unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) on raw material areas to sow seeds and spray foliar fertiliser has become an indispensable step in TTC AgriS's agricultural production process. 

According to updated data as of June 30, 2023, more than TTC AgriS’s 18,000 hectares of sugarcane growing areas were sprayed with foliar fertiliser by drones, helping to increase the quality of fertiliser absorption, reduce costs, and reduce dependence on labour and weather conditions.

DESERVING THE NATIONAL BRAND

Participating in the National Brand Programme since 2008, the company has been honoured with the title eight times. The company's national brand products include Bien Hoa sugar, MIMOSA sugar, and TSU sugar.

TTC Sugar’s recognition as a national brand has affirmed the reputation and quality of one of the leading sugar enterprises in Vietnam. This is also the Government's acknowledgement and appreciation of TTC Sugar's contributions in creating good products to serve consumers and developing modern, sustainable agriculture.

TTC AgriS brand has also been ranked in the top 50 of the 100 most valuable brands in Vietnam as voted by Brand Finance - Mibrand Vietnam for four consecutive years. During this year's announcement ceremony, TC AgriS officially received the Brand Value (BV) certification for 2023, with a valuation of 117.12 million USD, a Brand Strength Index (BSI) of 64.73, and an AA- rating.

More than half a century ago, in 1969, the Bien Hoa Sugar brand was officially launched. The brand has become familiar to millions of Vietnamese consumers over the past 50 years.

Currently, the company still maintains its leading position in the sugar industry with 46% market share in the domestic market. The company continuously grasps market consumption trends to flexibly change in addition to constantly researching and developing new products to maintain its brand in the domestic market and to compete with other foreign businesses.

TTC AgriS owns more than 88 sugar product lines

TTC AgriS owns more than 88 sugar product lines

TTC AgriS owns more than 88 sugar product lines (including six organic sugar products meeting EU and USDA standards), 19 sugar edge - after sugar products, and eight drinking water products extracted from sugar cane. These products not only serve domestic consumption but have been exported to more than 29 countries and territories, including demanding markets such as the US, the EU, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and others.

In addition, the company’s product portfolio is also expanding with 47 products made from coconut (Cocoxim, Momcooks,...) and 21 other products (solar power, Smiley South American banana, Dole banana,…).

Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa JSC Huynh Bich Ngoc receives the certification of Vietnam National Brand in 2022

Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa JSC Huynh Bich Ngoc receives the certification of Vietnam National Brand in 2022

At the end of the 2022-2023 accounting year, TTC AgriS posted positive results when net revenue exceeded 1 billion USD for the first time, reaching 24.74 trillion VND (over 1 billion USD), an increase of 35% over the same period last year and equivalent to 145% of the yearly plan.

Annual sugar consumption reached more than 1 million tonnes for the fourth consecutive year, with a sharp increase of 72% in export sales and 17% rise in B2B transactions over the same period last year. TTC AgriS’s gross profit on sales and service provision recorded 2.72 trillion VND, up 18% over the same period last year.

In addition to good business results, the scale of TTC AgriS has also been expanded with total assets reaching nearly 30 trillion VND (about 1.2 billion USD) as of June 30, 2023, up 8% compared to the beginning of the accounting year.

Currently, TTC AgriS owns many important international certifications such as: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO/IEC 17025, FSSC 22000 version 5.1, food safety certification in the Middle East issued by HCA, Kosher certification, certifications of Sedex, URSA, SGP System, certification by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), organic certification according to standards of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the EU and China, and Fair Choice and Fair Trade certifications. They are important certifications and milestones that help the company shape its position in the market and be able to bring its products to high-end markets with the most stringent quality standards, including the US and the EU.

In the past year, TTC AgriS was also the first company in Vietnam certified by Bonsucro to meet this organisation’s standards on the production process of sugarcane raw materials, sugar and molasses products. This certification is of importance for TTC AgriS to expand its scale and promote its brand to reach larger markets. It is also a guarantee of product quality and value, helping to enhance the company’s position and reputation.

TTC AgriS is the first unit in Vietnam to receive certification from Bonsucro - the leading global sustainability platform and standard for sugarcane. Bronsucro is a global force that collectively accelerates the sustainable production and use of sugarcane.

TTC AgriS is the first unit in Vietnam to receive certification from Bonsucro - the leading global sustainability platform and standard for sugarcane. Bronsucro is a global force that collectively accelerates the sustainable production and use of sugarcane.

According to Dang Huynh Uc My - Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of TTC AgriS, between 2022-2023, TTC AgriS has put all its efforts into developing an integrated smart agricultural economic model to orient market and products, promoting circular agricultural economic thinking, going beyond the pure value of crops and exploiting added value.

TTC AgriS has a pioneering mission to strengthen national sustainable high-tech agriculture through increasing the circular green economic value chain. In particular, the business philosophy of Solution - Technology - Sustainability is its core foundation and is developed according to strategic goals in each country. Accordingly, market strategies in major economies in the region are built with the key goal of controlling the circulation of goods and ensuring domestic supply, raising the brand of Vietnamese agricultural products on the international trading floor, at the same time, expanding the ecosystem of sharing products and services in diversifying natural energy sources and essential nutrients for the body. Presence in Singapore and Australia - two strategic countries in TTC AgriS's global development roadmap, including Food Technology (Foodtech) and Digital Agriculture (Agtech), bringing together leading industry experts to promote research and application of technologies, enhances TTC AgriS's position in the global food and commodity market.

Taking advantage of the strengths of the inherent crop value chain, TTC AgriS focuses on the mission of activating natural nutrition sources through Nutrition Platforms - Traceability Platforms - Sharing Exchange Platforms to enhance sustainable agriculture.

In particular, the integrated business centre, with a customer-centric philosophy, with applied research and technology hubs in Vietnam - Singapore - Australia, will maximise nutritional value and preserve nutrition from plant sources. Thereby, TTC AgriS contributes to the prosperous development of the community and increases the multilateral chain of links.

At the same time, TTC AgriS realises its commitment to sustainable development to balance the ecosystem and environment through increasing research investments, promoting circular economic thinking at each stage, sharing knowledge and responsibility to stakeholders, including reusing raw materials, wastewater and energy storage, reducing consumption in the production process, as well as promoting organic farming and organic products. Furthermore, the technology exchange and farming traceability platform will help TTC AgriS create a playground for experts to share and exchange knowledge, participate more deeply in the food processing field, become a pioneer in ensuring nutritional reputation, aiming for Net Zero by 2035, contributing to economic and social development and sharing achievements with stakeholders.

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Published: December 2023
Production manager: NGOC THANH - VIET ANH
Content: KHANH GIANG - BAO MINH
Translation: NDO
Photo: TTC AgriS
Design: Quang Vinh