AgrifoodV · ·
An export MD2 pineapple growing area is not judged by the total output of the whole area, but by the questions that processing plants and importing countries ask of each shipment: which plot did this fruit come from, what planting material was used, what was sprayed, on what date was it harvested. Answering those questions requires data at the level of each field plot, not at farm level.
Key points
- Moving from farm-level data to plot-level data changes four things: planning, cost tracking, pest management and harvesting.
- Under Resolution 36/2026/NQ-CP, growing-area codes are linked to land-parcel identification codes, and the data is connected to the Agricultural Product Traceability System of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
- Decree 38/2026/ND-CP requires growing areas to keep records of their production and harvesting processes. Plot-level data is the most effective way to do this.
From whole-farm data to plot-level data
In an analysis of high-value crop management, AGRIVI argues that moving from farm-level to block-level figures is the operational change with the greatest impact for a large farm. The article identifies four changes:
- Planning by block and variety: each block has its own plan based on the yield, input and labour history of that block, instead of a single farm-wide average.
- Near-real-time cost tracking by block: costs accumulate by block as inputs are used and labour is recorded, so managers see variances while the season is still under way.
- Integrated pest management: sensor data, field scouting, weather and block history are placed side by side to identify risks before damage appears.
- Harvesting: harvest schedules are tied to ripeness, weather and buyer demand for each block.
AGRIVI cites the case of a customer growing fruit on more than 500 ha that cut input costs by 23% in the very first season of block-level cost tracking. This figure is published by AGRIVI about its own customer and is not the result of independent research, so it should be read only as an illustrative example.
Vietnam’s new legal framework is moving in the same direction
On 24 January 2026, the Government issued Decree 38/2026/ND-CP on growing-area codes and packing-facility codes. Article 6(3) requires a growing area applying for a code to keep records and store information relating to its production and harvesting processes. Article 6(4) requires growing areas supplying exports to comply additionally with the phytosanitary and food safety requirements of the importing country.
On 31 July 2026, Resolution 36/2026/NQ-CP simplified the procedures. Three points relate directly to data:
- Applications for a code are submitted to the commune-level People’s Committee where the growing area is located, via the National Public Service Portal.
- The location of the growing area is identified by the land-parcel identification code in the national land database.
- Growing-area code data is managed centrally, published on the portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and connected to the Ministry’s Agricultural Product Traceability System.
Resolution 36/2026 also suspends certain provisions of Decree 38/2026, including Article 6(1) on the minimum area of a growing area, until the Decree is amended. Companies should follow the amendment and update accordingly.
In other words: once location is tied to the land parcel and the data is connected to the national traceability system, the field plot becomes the de facto unit of management. Growing areas already used to recording data by plot will find it much easier to comply.
What data an MD2 pineapple plot needs
The table below is AgrifoodV’s proposal, based on the record-keeping requirements of Decree 38/2026 and buyers’ traceability requirements.
| Data group | What to record | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Plot identification | Plot code, land-parcel identification code, area, growing-area code | Code-issuing authority, buyers |
| Planting material and planting | Source of planting material, planting date, planting density | Harvest planning, processing plant |
| Cultivation | Fertilisation, irrigation, flower induction (date, product, dose) | Costs, fruit quality |
| Plant protection | Field scouting results, sprays, active ingredient, dose, pre-harvest interval | Residue control, importing country |
| Harvest and delivery | Harvest date, volume, sweetness (°Brix), lot code of the consignment delivered to the processing plant or packing facility | Traceability, payment |
What companies should do
The following are AgrifoodV’s recommendations.
- Use a single plot code throughout: from the cultivation log and costs to the growing-area code and the export lot code.
- Start with few data fields but record them consistently; complete data recorded irregularly is useless when traceability is needed.
- Choose record-keeping tools (template logbooks, apps, farm management software) whose data can be exported by plot and by time period, for submitting applications or sending to buyers on request.
AgrifoodV helps companies design growing-area data systems, growing-area codes and traceability. See also: Digital technology in MD2 pineapple growing areas.
References
- Busic, B. How Specialty Crop Farms Are Using Block-Level Data to Improve Seasonal Decisions. AGRIVI Blog, published 11 June 2026, updated 28 September 2026. agrivi.com/blog/specialty-crop-farm-management-block-level-data.
- Government of Vietnam. Nghị định số 38/2026/NĐ-CP ngày 24/01/2026 quy định về nhập khẩu cây mang theo bầu đất và mã số vùng trồng, mã số cơ sở đóng gói [Decree 38/2026/ND-CP of 24 January 2026 on the import of plants with soil balls and on growing-area codes and packing-facility codes], Article 6. Published on the portal of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection: ppd.gov.vn.
- Government of Vietnam. Nghị quyết số 36/2026/NQ-CP ngày 31/07/2026 quy định đơn giản hóa thủ tục hành chính về mã số vùng trồng, mã số cơ sở đóng gói [Resolution 36/2026/NQ-CP of 31 July 2026 on simplifying administrative procedures for growing-area codes and packing-facility codes], Articles 3, 4 and 5. datafiles.chinhphu.vn.
Article by AgrifoodV, compiled and interpreted from the sources above (accessed 17 October 2026). This content is not a substitute for legal advice; the procedure for obtaining growing-area codes may change when Decree 38/2026/ND-CP is amended.
Cover image: Magda Ehlers / Pexels.
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