Lang Son works to expand markets for local farm produce

(LSO) – Competent authorities in Lang Son province have intensified efforts to introduce and promote local farm produce staples, thus creating favourable conditions for local businesses and cooperatives to connect with trade partners and expand markets, so as to facilitate agricultural development.

Since its establishment, Hoa Lac agricultural service cooperative in Hoa Lac commune, Huu Lung district, has paid due attention to setting up relations with partners in other provinces to enlarge market for its products besides production and improvement of products’ quality.

According to director of the cooperative Ly Van Dai, the cooperative has 200 hectares of orchards, most of which are grown with custard apple, pomelo, apple and orange. In a bid to seek markets for the products, the cooperative’s management board has asked for support of the district’s agriculture and rural development department to set up linkages with companies and cooperatives outside the province. Furthermore, Hoa Lac has actively engaged in agriculture trade fairs to look for partners.

Visitors learn about Chi Lang custard-apple at the fair in Hanoi

Thanks to the efforts, the cooperative has sucessfully put its products on the shelves of five safe food stores in Hanoi, and its fruits will be introduced at a product promotion event held by the Vinmart supermarket chain in September.

The district People’s Committee has directed relevant authorities and the People’s Committees of communes and towns to create favourable conditions for firms and cooperatives to invest in production and sales in the locality.

Vice Chairman of the district People’s Committee Nguyen Quoc Khanh said in the recent three years, the district has joined hands with the provincial Departments of Agriculture and Development and Industry and Trade to help local cooperatives and businesses to participate in trade fairs inside and outside the province. Therefore, several local farm staples like custard apple, pomelo, orange and apple are being sold at many supermarkets and safe food stores in Hanoi.

The district will organise the Huu Lung fresh fruit festival to nudge local fruits closer to consumers.

Not only Huu Lung, Lang Son city and many other districts have paid attention to farm produce marketing. A wide range of activities and programmes have been put into the districts’ annual plans, including Bac Son tangerine festival, Vanh Khuyen persimmon (Van Lang district), Bao Lam persimmon (Cao Loc district), and Chi Lang custard apple festival.

Particularly, the districts have chosen the agricultural products of their strength to join trade fairs nationwide to expand markets.

Through which many local specialties such as Dinh Lap tea, Van Quan star anise and anise essential oil, Mau Son wine, Bac Son mandarin, Bao Lam persimmon, and Chi Lang custard-apple have won the heart of many customers and become popular products in the market. Many businesses and cooperatives have signed contracts to buy products in the province.

Officials from economic-infrastructure department of Loc Binh district introduce local sweet potatos to Hanoi visitors

Ms. Le Thi Dan, head of the purchasing department of the Bac Tom clean food chain at 326 Le Trong Tan, Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, said through forums connecting production and sales of products held by Lang Son province in Hanoi, she has set up ties with some agricultural businesses and cooperatives from Lang Son. Her company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation with Lang Son ECI Joint Stock Company on developing a value chain in production and sales of farm produce and safe food. The company will continue studying Lang Son farm produce, especially its specialities such as Chi Lang custard-apple and Bac Son mandarin, to sell in Hanoi and some central provinces, Dan said.

Nine businesses and 19 cooperatives in Lang Son have signed cooperation deals with businesses from cities and provinces nationwide to sell products. To improve the effectiveness of promotion of farm produce, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has continuously joined trade and investment promotion activities in cities and provinces throughout the country. The department has maintained the implementation of effective programmes such as supporting cooperatives and enterprises to attend the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) summer fair hosted by the northern province of Quang Ninh, attending the Vietnamese agriculture golden brand programme, and organising a forum on farm produce trading between northern border provinces with China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

At the opening ceremony of a recent trade fair on local safe agricultural products and the promotion week of Chi Lang custard-apple and Lang Son specialities in Hanoi, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ho Tien Thieu said Lang Son hopes to cooperate with businesses investing in agricultural and rural development.

The province pledged to accompany businesses and cooperatives to remove their difficulties and enhance connection to produce and sell products.

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Viewpoints of businesses

 

Vu Thi Hau, Vice President of the Vietnam Retailers Association (VNRA): “There should be a combination between production and business”

According to the VNRA, agriculture cooperatives are playing a crucial role in linking production and consumption. However, most of the cooperatives, including those in Lang Son province, have paid due attention to agricultural cultivation only while neglecting post-harvest process and market development.

In a bid to expand consumption markets, cooperatives should set up relations with their partners, form market R&D units, and have specific plans to popularise their brands to consumers.

Nguyen Thi Kim Thu from Central Group Vietnam: “Businesses should have information about local crops”

Currently, a wide range of products in Lang Son province, including custard apple, tangerine, persimmon, and star anise, have met quality standards to enter supermarket systems in Hanoi. However, businesses are usually lacking information about crops and productivity, and this means they only get the information from cooperatives and suppliers in their harvest time. Therefore, it is difficult for them to arrange products for supermarket chains.

To this end, it is hoped that local cooperatives will inform the businesses 2-3 months prior to the harvest time.

To Thu Sen, Director of Vietnam Agirculture Tourism Co.,Ltd in Bac Son district: “Farm produce consumption should be made in tandem with eco-tourism”

Through the district’s agriculture and rural development bureau and tourism promotion centre, the company has welcomed many tourists to visit passion fruit, tangerine and star anise oil production orchards. In each destination, visitors have chances to experience green agricultural production, and enjoy the products.

Besides popularising local staples, the company has set up cooperation with 10 businesses and cooperatives in Hanoi, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh and Nam Dinh.

The model should be enjoy due attention and implemented widely./.