Nghe An: Presenting 86 minutes at the Conference on connecting supply and demand of goods and services

Attending the conference were representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The conference was chaired by Mr. Dinh Viet Hong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Hoang Van Tam - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade. Photo: Viet Phuong

Multiple solutions to enhance connectivity

Nghe An currently has 157 craft villages, 690 cooperatives and more than 8,000 production and business enterprises operating with many products of diverse designs and types. In recent years, the province has focused on synchronously implementing many solutions and policies to support production and business activities of enterprises, promoting the application of science and technology in production to improve product quality, meeting the needs and tastes of customers.

Identifying market development as the top priority task to promote production, continue innovation and development, the province has implemented many trade promotion activities, trading with other provinces and cities associated with the development orientation and effective exploitation of the domestic market.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong visited the product display booth on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: Viet Phuong

This is the third year Nghe An has organized the Supply-Demand Connection Conference. In 2016 and 2017, at the Supply-Demand Connection Conferences, there were more than 50 products from more than 30 units from enterprises, business households, cooperatives, craft villages, farms, and ranches in the province participating in the exhibition. The province has also organized delegations to participate in trade conferences and supply-demand connections in provinces and cities including Hanoi, Da Nang, Tay Ninh, Hung Yen, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Ha Tinh, Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces.

Through the conferences, up to now, 190 memorandums of understanding on business cooperation have been signed, thereby forming more than 100 contracts for the consumption of products in the province.

Trade programs, supply-demand connection and domestic market development activities have brought practical results to enterprises, production and business units in the province, thereby creating specific strategies and plans to seek, develop and expand their markets.

Solving the problem of "good harvest, low price"

At the conference, some delegates shared some difficulties and problems in the process of connecting supply and demand. These are:The production scale of small-scale handicraft and agricultural products in Nghe An is still limited, so it is not possible to meet large orders at many times in a timely manner. Nghe An also lacks key enterprises to purchase and collect goods for farmers and production facilities, which somewhat limits the consumption of goods for enterprises.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong delivered a concluding speech at the conference. Photo: Viet Phuong

Currently, Nghe An has many agricultural products with outstanding reputations nationwide, such as Vinh oranges, Nam Dan soy sauce, Thanh Chuong pickled vegetables, Quy Chau incense, Quy Bau duck, etc. However, there are still many problems for Nghe An's agricultural products. Sharing at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung - Deputy Director of the Department of Science and Technology said that although many products have reputation and prestige, there are still times when they fall into the situation of "good harvest, low price", product quality is not stable, and has not created consumer trust. Goods are only consumed in small retail markets, have not entered large markets, have not been exported much, and the added value of the products is not high.

From the perspective of a tourism service unit, Ms. Vo Thi Thu Hoai - Director of Vietravel branch in Nghe An said that the area lacks tourist destinations and attractive tourism products. Vinh oranges with JICA support have very beautiful designs and good quality, but the connection between production facilities and tourism units is still weak, leading to a lack of connection. Or when taking visitors to visit TH true Milk, most of them are very excited but when they want to buy the products, they are not enough.

Tea processing line in Hung Son commune, Anh Son district. Photo: Viet Phuong

Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong emphasized that through the connection activities, the province's enterprises and production units have initially had access to modern distribution systems, grasped market trends and consumer tastes to change business strategies, improve product quality, and improve product designs and packaging.

Exchange of minutes of agreement and memorandum of understanding between distributors and enterprises, cooperatives, production and trading units. Photo: Viet Phuong

In the coming time, in order for trade activities and supply-demand connection to become regular activities and achieve practical results, going into depth, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee proposed that the Department of Industry and Trade coordinate with relevant sectors and units to annually organize trade promotion activities, supply-demand connection conferences and trade activities in provinces and cities across the country. Moving towards organizing supply-demand connection activities according to the model of specializing in each field and profession, combining many rich and diverse events and activities. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Science and Technology, the Cooperative Union... coordinate with relevant units to survey and build information systems and product databases to support investment in improving the quality of products and goods, building brands to connect and bring them into the modern distribution system, aiming at export.

At the conference, there was also a ceremony to award 86 minutes of agreement and memorandums of understanding between distributors and enterprises, cooperatives, production and business units.