Trade promotion: Expanding markets, increasing the value of agricultural products

With promotional activities and increased trade promotion for agricultural products through fairs and trade connection seminars, in recent years, the province’s agricultural product consumption market has continuously expanded, and the value has gradually improved.

Chi Lang Custard Apple products are displayed and introduced at the agricultural product market, regional specialties, the 2023 custard apple, agricultural specialties and OCOP products of Lang Son province promotion week in Hanoi

The province has many advantages for agricultural development. In recent years, all levels and functional sectors in the province have focused on building planting areas and guiding people to apply science and technology to production. Currently, the entire province has built and developed key agricultural product growing areas such as: star anise area (more than 43,000 hectares), chili area (1,458 hectares), black jelly area (3,100 hectares), custard apple area (4,460 hectares) … and there are more than 4,000 hectares of crops of all kinds produced and certified to VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards.

According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the whole province has 19 key agricultural products, of which, the products have confirmed quality and are granted collective labels such as: custard apple, persimmon, tangerine… In addition, the whole province currently has 104 3-star and 4-star OCOP products (one commune one product program) that meet quality standards, food safety, design…

To expand consumption markets and improve the value of agricultural products, all levels and sectors of the province have organized many activities to connect, promote and introduce the province’s agricultural products.

For example, on August 24, 2023, in Hanoi, the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize the opening of the agricultural products, regional specialties market , and custard apple promotion week, agricultural specialties and OCOP products in Lang Son province in 2023. Here, products: custard apple, star anise, black jelly, medicinal products of Morinda officinalis plant, Amomum, honey… and many OCOP products of the province are displayed and introduced. Through this activity, businesses and cooperatives have consumed over 1.5 tons of agricultural products (mainly custard apple). This is also an opportunity for production facilities to promote products and expand consumption markets.

According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, from 2022 up to now, the department has organized and supported over 40 entities with OCOP products and key agricultural products of the province to participate in 11 exhibitions, forums and conference connecting supply and demand. At the same time, the department coordinated with the Department of Industry and Trade and related units to support the development and promotion of agricultural products on websites by posting product information on the nongsanlangson.com website and supporting the posting of OCOP products go to the digital store on the posmart.vn e-commerce platform to promote and consume. To date, more than 20,000 agricultural products have been promoted on the postmart.vn e-commerce platform.

Besides, with its functional tasks, the Center for Industrial Promotion and Trade Promotion (Department of Industry and Trade) has also carried out many activities to promote agricultural products. Mr. Ha Xuan Thao, Deputy Director of the center said: The center focused on promoting products, including agricultural products, through exhibitions, conferences and seminars with budget  of about 1.5 billion VND/year. Accordingly, from 2022 up to now, the center has supported individuals, businesses, and cooperatives to participate in 10 trade connection fairs and trade promotion conferences for agricultural products. In particular, each fair has an average of 30 – 35 key agricultural products and OCOPs of the subjects displayed and promoted. At the same time, each year, the center organizes 2 markets for Vietnamese goods in rural areas in the districts, this is also a practical activity to promote and introduce products in the province.

Through these activities, we help production facilities, cooperatives, and businesses widely promote products, connect between entities, and find partners to make links in production and consumption of products inside and outside the province. Mr. Ha Viet Quy, Director of Duc Quy Import-Export Production and Investment Company Limited, Trang Dinh district said: In 2022, with the support of departments and sectors, we participated in product exhibitions in domestic provinces. Through this activity, it helped the company introduce its products more widely. In particular, we have connected the consumption of black jelly powder products with Tu Son Supermarket (Chau Doc city, An Giang province). Currently, we are implementing a product consumption contract with supermarkets, expected to ship in October 2023.

Realizing that participating in trade promotion activities is an opportunity to exploit the market for products, in recent times, many businesses and cooperatives have actively participated in fairs, conferences, and exhibitions to display their products. Mrs. Ngoc Thi Que, Director of Ngoc Que Company Limited, Huu Lung district shared: The company was established in 2017. Up to now, it has stably produced Erythropalum Scandens Blume tea products and is expected to strongly develop Erythropalum Scandens Blume wine and Erythropalum Scandens Blume noodle products in the near future. Among them, Erythropalum Scandens Blume tea is a 3-star OCOP product, consumed inside and outside the province, in addition, the products are present in foreign markets such as: Germany, China. In 2022, the company consumed about 6,000 boxes of tea, with revenue reaching 4 billion VND/year (an increase of nearly 1 billion VND compared to 2021). To achieve this result, we have taken full advantage of opportunities to participate in conferences, fairs, and exhibitions to introduce products. From 2022 up to now, the company has participated in about 10 conferences and exhibitions inside and outside the province.

The efforts of the authorities and the initiative of product producers have contributed to bringing the province’s agricultural products to reach far and wide consumption channels, becoming known to domestic and foreign consumers.

Currently, a number of agricultural products in the province are consumed in large supermarkets (BigC, Winmart…) such as black jelly, Lua Vy fish mint tea, macadamia… and are exported abroad such as star anise oil, Ngoc Thuy tea, Bat Tien tea, black jelly powder, Erythropalum Scandens Blume tea…

According to the assessment of the Rural Development sub-department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, basically, after advertising and promotion, the products have been known to customers outside the province and have reached more customers and potential markets. Since then, sales volume has increased, and revenue of all entities has increased by 10 – 15%/year.