Belying initial fears, and despite costing more than normal farm produce and not looking particularly attractive, 10 days after they were launched, Saigon Co.op’s Co.op Organic products have won over consumers at Co.opmart and Co.opXtra supermarkets in HCM City.

Daily, at just around 10.30am, at Co.opmart Dinh Tien Hoang supermarket, only some cherry tomatoes and a straggle of other vegetables are left of Co.op Organic vegetables.

It is the same at Co.opXtra in the city’s District 7 and Co.opmart Nguyen Kiem in Phu Nhuan District: at 2pm the organic vegetables are almost sold out.

Admittedly, organic products often do not look fresh green or eye catching, their size is uneven and their yield is modest.

Scientists say not using chemicals means organic produce like Co.op Organic have to develop naturally in terms of size, to colour and nutrient composition.

Co.op Organic-labelled products meeting US and EU organic standards are available at seven Co.opmart outlets in HCM City – Ly Thuong Kiet, Cong Quynh, Dinh Tien Hoang, Nguyen Kiem, and Nguyen Dinh Chieu streets, Phu My Hung, and Co.opXtra inside SC VivoCity.

The Co.op Organic produce includes two kinds of rice – Jasmine and Japonica -- cucumber, squash, tomato; choy sum, mustard green, water spinach; basa fish, black tiger shrimp and ecological shrimp.

All of them meet USDA and EU organic standards for having no chemical fertilisers, pesticides, stimulants, hormones, preservatives or genetically modified components.

The average price of the vegetables is VND60,000 a kilogramme, while basa fish and ecological shrimp are priced at VND144,000 and VND352,000 a kilogramme. — VNS