Finding markets to consume and increase the value of Nghe An agricultural products

Expanding product consumption market

Last May, Nghe An participated in the "Ho Chi Minh City International Ginseng, Spices and Medicinal Herbs Festival 2024". With an international scale, the festival has the participation of localities and international enterprises with strengths in ginseng, spices and medicinal herbs such as Canada, the US, Korea, Japan, India, Southeast Asian countries; 160 domestic and foreign enterprises.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ha - Head of the Nghe An Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Product Quality Management said: This is an opportunity for localities and domestic and international enterprises to exchange, share experiences and seek partners, thereby enhancing the value and bringing Vietnamese products to the world.

With medicinal products brought to the festival such as Curcumin turmeric essence, natural flower honey, Ga Gai Leo pills, Gymnema Sylvestre extract, Gynostemma pentaphyllum instant tea, Black tea... from two units, Bometa Group Joint Stock Company and Pu Mat Medicinal Materials Joint Stock Company, Nghe An's medicinal products have had the opportunity to be widely promoted, not only to domestic customers but also to foreign customers, thereby opening up many cooperation opportunities, creating a stable and high-value consumer market. Right here, Bometa Group Joint Stock Company signed a contract with a product distributor in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces.

This is an activity within a series of activities to promote agricultural product trade that the Nghe An Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Product Quality Management has carried out in recent times, aiming to create opportunities to exchange and share experiences in quality management, processing, product introduction, connection and market development between businesses and establishments trading agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

Nghe An currently has 24,659 agricultural, forestry and fishery production and trading establishments. The source of products is rich and of high quality, especially in recent years, the application of scientific and technological advances to create products that ensure quality and food safety has been increasingly focused on and developed. The whole province has more than 2,100 hectares of area applying science and technology, technical advances, more than 640 hectares of vegetables and fruits of all kinds recognized for production according to VietGAP standards and equivalent, 65 growing areas are assigned codes with crops such as melons, vegetables, oranges, tea, rice, corn, peanuts, etc.

There are currently 986 livestock farms in the area, 22 facilities have been granted VietGAHP certificates, the whole province has built and maintained 08 animal disease-safe facilities, 226,000 livestock facilities have been granted identification codes according to food safety software; 9 livestock product brands are protected under the form of certified trademarks such as Thanh Chuong chicken, Tuong Duong beef, Trang Ke honey... "That is really a favorable condition for us to expand consumption to valuable and sustainable markets", Mr. Nguyen Van Ha shared.

In just the first 6 months of 2024, the Department has organized for units to participate in 7 fairs in the provinces and cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Thai Nguyen, with the participation of 26 units with OCOP products of 3 stars or higher; supported the construction and rental of 10 booths to display OCOP products. Continued support for processing facilities to build packaging models, labels, traceability, and build product brands.

In particular, the Department has always closely coordinated with the Department of Industry and Trade of Nghe An to support and promote agricultural and aquatic product production and processing units for export; provide information, forecast production and export situation as well as support units to improve product quality and packaging...

Up to now, in addition to traditional export products such as tea, rubber, tapioca starch, peanuts..., there have been a number of products exported to foreign markets such as rice paper exported to Japan, Korea; fish sauce to Japan; eel and fish to the US market...

Promote trade and improve product quality

It can be seen that the management of food safety and quality of agricultural, forestry and fishery products has been strengthened, product quality has been improved, and the rate of deeply processed products has increased. Producers have paid attention to building brands, product designs and traceability.

The methodical implementation of trade promotion activities has contributed to the stable consumption of products, increased output and prices such as tea, sugarcane, tapioca flour, pork, pineapple, seafood, rice, peanuts, etc. OCOP products have promoted their value, many products have expanded production, domestic consumption and export; there is no longer a backlog or rescue situation.

However, in production and consumption of products, there are still many limitations in the use of materials and pesticides; livestock development, production applying scientific advances, high technology, and production linkages are not many; some products are still difficult to consume, limited export, and small scale. Fragmented, small-scale production, primitive technology, and manual labor account for a large proportion, which is one of the reasons leading to this situation.

“In the coming time, we will continue to promote the development of agricultural production according to VietGAP standards. This is the most crucial solution to improve product quality, thereby improving food safety quality, creating conditions for agricultural products to have a stable consumption market and value”, said Mr. Phung Thanh Vinh - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Along with that, solutions to improve the quality of food safety products and trade promotion will be strengthened.