Nghe An province is stepping up trade promotion and marketing of OCOP products.
(Baonghean) - With over 22,000 food production facilities and abundant and diverse supplies, however, due to various reasons, Nghe An's agricultural products have not yet truly entered large and stable markets, especially OCOP products.
The gap between "supply" and "demand"
Nghe An currently has 780 cooperatives, of which about 46% are operating effectively, producing many safe products with clear origins, labels, and barcodes that meet standards. By the end of 2019, the province had 48 cooperatives.OCOP productsRated 3 stars, 4 stars.
To find outlets for products, the province and local departments and agencies have implemented many activities to connect supply and demand for goods. Recently, in July 2020, the Conference on Connecting the Consumption of Safe Agricultural, Forestry, and Aquatic Products, with the participation of more than 50 businesses throughout the province, was organized by the Nghe An Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry, and Aquatic Product Quality Management. The aim was to connect Nghe An's supermarket chain such as MM Mega Market, Big C, Vinmart+, Maximark… and agricultural product businesses and consumers with production and processing facilities.
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| Leaders of the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Product Quality Management inspect the packaging and labels of Nam Dan soy sauce products. Photo: Phu Huong. |
This is one of the agricultural product promotion and trade facilitation activities organized by the unit this year. Through this, production facilities have the opportunity to learn about and understand the necessary requirements, standards, and procedures.Bringing agricultural products into supermarkets.On a large scale, and conversely, consumer businesses can connect and find stable sources of products.
"Nghe An's agricultural products are diverse, abundant, and of good quality; products from large corporations producing and processing in Nghe An, such as TH Milk, Vinamilk, Masan, etc., have built brands and reputations with domestic and international consumers, positively impacting other products. Recently, many OCOP products have established a strong reputation. Trade promotion activities, advertising, introduction, market research outside the province, and connecting product consumption within the province are receiving attention."
Production and processing facilities that ensure quality and food safety will receive support if they wish to promote their products. To date, some products such as veal sausage, oranges, tea, herbal tea, Nam Dan soy sauce, fish sauce, dried seafood products, etc., have been widely introduced and sold, and have been accepted by large enterprises such as BigC, Vingroup, Lotte… for distribution throughout their systems.
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| Several products such as veal sausage, oranges, tea, herbal tea, Nam Dan soy sauce, fish sauce, dried seafood products, etc., have been widely introduced and sold. (Photo: archival material) |
However, the demand for connectivity and product consumption has not yet been fully met. Nghe An's agricultural products have not yet truly entered large supermarkets with stable consumption sources and high value. Besides objective reasons, the production and consumption process itself still has many shortcomings. Not only is production fragmented and small-scale, the processing sector, especially deep processing, is still limited; but the product designs and packaging have not been modernized, and marketing, promotion, and product introduction efforts are still limited,” shared Mr. Nguyen Van Ha - Head of the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Product Quality Management.
Boost product promotion.
Unlike products from large corporations, agricultural products produced and processed by cooperatives, small businesses, and households, which account for about 70% of daily consumer food, still face difficulties in sales. Meanwhile, "the demand for clean agricultural products is very high," said Mr. Nguyen Cong Viet, director of a supermarket in Nghe An.
According to consumers, in order to enter the supermarket system, agricultural products must meet quality, quantity, and necessary documentation requirements as stipulated by the State. However, small-scale producers have largely neglected product promotion, and very few are willing to participate in such activities.trade promotionTrade fairs and exhibitions are held to find consumer markets. The vast majority of people still produce and process their own products, rather than developing the habit of producing and processing according to market signals and product demands.
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| Bamboo products bearing the Tra Lan Bam Bo brand are on display at the North Central Vietnam trade fair. Photo: Tran Chau |
To get agricultural products into stable markets and large supermarkets, production facilities must prioritize product quality and not allow customers to lose confidence in their products.
Mr. Nguyen Van Ha, Head of the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Product Quality Management, said: “In the coming time, we will continue to leverage the support of specialized agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to grasp the domestic and international market situation; closely coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade to promptly resolve difficulties and support localities, organizations, and individuals in consuming agricultural products. We will also participate in international agricultural fairs and exhibitions of agricultural products organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hanoi and key provinces and cities.”
Simultaneously, establish trade promotion delegations to seek markets outside the province and introduce products to large business corporations. Focus on product promotion; concentrate on improving product quality, food safety, packaging, labeling, traceability, and branding; strengthen trade promotion efforts and actively participate in trade fairs to introduce products originating from Nghe An to the market.
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| Traditional fish sauce products from Cua Hoi participating in the fair attracted many buyers. Photo: Tran Chau |
“Districts and OCOP production facilities need to focus on building cooperatives and production and consumption linkages; selecting products that are local advantages, but based on market demand. Emphasis should be placed on applying VietGAP, GlobalGAP, HACCP... to production; investing in packaging, labels, and product traceability stamps to meet current consumer demands and preferences. In particular, close coordination with the Department of Industry and Trade and the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Product Quality Management is necessary to receive advice and support in finding markets for products.”
