More and more farmers are selling their produce directly to consumers on Facebook to make up for the lack of traditional buyers as a result of COVID-19. — Photo sggp.org.vn

Farmers have been successfully utilising online channels such as Facebook to promote their products directly to consumers amid the COVID-19 outbreaks.

Ngoc Thuy of Lam Dong Province told Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper that while helping her parents farm she noticed how traders would often try to beat down prices, and so decided to sell their products online and deliver to customers using transportation services.

She would hold livestreaming sessions during various stages such as farming, harvesting and packaging to instil confidence in prospective consumers.

Nguyen Manh Tung, who shops at Thuy’s Facebook page, said he is able to buy fresh produce from her without fear of chemicals, and his family thus spends less time shopping at public places.

Nguyen Dieu Linh initially struggled with her chicken farm when the pandemic due to lack of buyers, before she decided to promote her products on Facebook.

Thanks to her friends sharing her posts, more and more people noticed them.

She now receives a lot of orders from individuals and restaurants, and would like to focus on online selling in future.

Many other farmers have been relying on Facebook to advertise their goods and create contents related to their products, which help them cope with the reduction in demand due to COVID-19 and reduce their reliance on traders.

Many companies are also selling more online compared to pre-COVID and some in fact have had to invest more into production as a result of higher demand, and hire more staff to carry out online promotions.

Nguyen Duc Tung, general secretary of the Viet Nam Digital Agricultural Association, said the fact that farmers are able to sell their goods directly to consumers without intermediaries means the goods can be cheaper.

According to the association, to do business on online, farmers have to learn skills such as photography, selling and communication and engender trust since most online selling currently relies on trust.

Farmers should encouraged work with online commercial platforms, which can check their certifications and documents to improve credibility, it added. VNS