Project supporting farmers in Gia Lai launched

HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Central Retail Vietnam in collaboration with the People's Committee of K'Bang district in Gia Lai province has officially launched a project called ‘Livelihood for K'Bang Community’ at Big C Quy Nhon.

The project has attracted the participation of 48 farmer households in the district’s Dong commune, of which more than 30 percent are Ba Na ethnic minorities.

After a period of implementation, fresh vegetables from Gia Lai mountainous area for the first time are being sold at GO! and Big C supermarkets in the central region (Quy Nhon, Da Nang, Quang Ngai and Hue).

Le Thanh Son, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of K'Bang District, said: “The support from Central Retail Group has enabled vegetables produced by K'Bang farmers under the Livelihood for Community project to enter modern supermarkets. This is a major turning point, bringing a stable income source and improving the livelihoods of the people here.

“K’Bang District will continue to coordinate closely with Central Retail Group to be able to replicate and implement the project in a sustainable manner."

Despite being directly affected by heavy storms in October, the project has helped farmers sell more than five tonnes of fresh vegetables worth more than 100 million VND (4,309 USD) in the first month of project. The products include tomatoes, cucumbers, bitter melons, string beans, and forest bamboo shoots.

Nguyen Thi Bich Van, communications director of Central Retail Vietnam, said: “This is the first Livelihood for Community project to be implemented in the Central Highlands with the desire to improve the lives of people in mountainous areas from the agricultural products they plant.”

Under the project, the retailer instructs farmers in harvesting and packaging of their products in accordance with the supermarket's regulations and buys all the products to sell at its stores, helping to add more value to the products.

In the coming time, the products will also be sold at the retailer’s stores in the south, she said. 

In addition to this project, Central Retail Group has implemented seven other Livelihood for Community projects in Son Ha, Van Ho, Binh Dinh, A Luoi, Sa Pa, Muong Khuong and Bac Kan.

Launched in 2017, the Livelihood for Community project aims to support the livelihoods of farmers, fishermen and poor households with incomes under 5 million VND (215.4 USD) per month in coastal, and rural and remote areas.

Over the past year, the project has helped to consume nearly 800 tonnes of agricultural products through GO! and Big C supermarket chains, improving the lives of more than 500 farmer households participating in the projects./.