Vietnam develops modern supply system for farm produce

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam needs to develop a system of modern agricultural product supply centres which can help to promote the consumption of farm produce in value chains, enhance food safety and hygiene, and improve the competitive edge of Vietnamese goods.

At a workshop held in Hanoi on May 28, head of the Central Coordination Office for New-style Rural Area Building Nguyen Minh Tien said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing a project on the supply system for 2018-2020 with a vision to 2030, with the support of the French Embassy in Vietnam and the French Development Agency (AFD).

According to Tien, the move will make contributions towards realising the national target programme on new style rural area building during 2016-2020 by creating a sustainable consumption channel for local farm produce, and connecting farmers and distributors towards setting up concentrated cultivating areas for local agricultural products.  

In addition, consumers will feel more confident about Vietnamese products as the supply system enables tracing of good origins.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi city People’s Committee Nguyen Van Suu said that Hanoi has huge demand for farming products each year, including some 890,000 tonnes of rice, 139,000 tonnes of pork, 42,000 tonnes of chicken, 54,000 tonnes of seafood, and 900,000 tonnes of vegetables.

At present, most local farm produce is sold through traditional channels like wet markets, wholesale markets, and street markets, and very few are on sale at supermarkets or convenience stores.

Suu said that as the city’s 124 supermarkets only meet 20 percent of local people’s food demand, it is necessary to develop the supply system to control food safety and hygiene, as well as to improve the local capacity to supply large volume of goods for domestic consumption and exports. –VNA