Ha Noi’s agriculture sector has promoted trade promotion programmes and organised fairs to help cooperatives and enterprises sell agricultural products in the capital city

Head of Ha Noi Sub-Department for Quality Management of Agro, Forestry and Fisheries Products Nguyen Thi Thu Hang said: “The city has 25 trade centres and 141 supermarkets, mainly concentrated in the inner city; 454 markets, including two wholesale markets for agricultural products, more than 1,000 convenience stores, 786 safe fruit stores, and more than 128 business chains of agricultural products and food.”

Every year the city organises dozens of fairs to help cooperatives and businesses participate in promoting and introducing safe agricultural products to customers.

Hang added: "Participating in the trade promotion programme has helped cooperatives and businesses gradually renew their thinking and awareness in economic management and corporate governance, constantly improving the quality and value of products served. Many cooperatives reached agreements and signed hundreds of contracts to sell products, supply meat, fish, vegetables, tubers and fruits of all kinds, as well as safe and quality processed food with high quality standards. They have signed deals with distribution agents, restaurants, collective kitchens and supermarket systems such as Saigon Coop, Lotte and Winmart.”

Director of Tu Tam Trading and Clean Food Processing Joint Stock Company Dinh Thi Hai Yen said the company currently offers more than 20 products, such as spring rolls, fried rice nuggets, mackerel rolls and squid rolls. In order to promote consumption, the company has participated in trade promotion programmes and fairs organised by the city's agriculture industry. Thanks to product quality, on average, the company provides consumers with 60kg of processed food every day, and up to 400-500 kg in peak days at convenience stores.

Trade promotion efforts have recorded certain achievements, but there are still many difficulties because many good, high-value agricultural products have not been distributed by enterprises. Trade promotion activities often focus on maintaining, searching and expanding markets to sell the goods, and are not yet associated with product development activities so that they can sell products the market requires.

To promote the consumption of agricultural products, Director of Huong Ngai Agricultural Cooperative, in Thach That District, Nguyen Do Ban suggested, in addition to improving product quality, the sector should support cooperatives in connecting supply - demand through seminars, fairs, and signing contracts with enterprises.

Hang said that the Sub-Department regularly introduced facilities for production, preliminary processing, processing for sale that meet food safety requirements in Ha Noi and provinces and cities across the country in order to coordinate and promote the consumption of agricultural, forestry and fishery products. It also introduced businesses, production and business establishments participating in fairs and weeks organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the People's Committee of Ha Noi. Along with that, it strengthened communication and promotion of processed agricultural products, changing consumer habits from consuming products that lack a certified origin to safe food products.

According to Director of the Ha Noi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Chu Phu My, the agriculture sector cooperates with other departments and branches to build a market information and forecast system in order to improve consumption of processed agricultural products in Ha Noi. It helps promote Ha Noi's links with provinces and cities across the country; and promotes the supply of input materials for processing and consumption of processed products.

Ha Noi's agriculture sector advises the city on policies to develop markets and promote trade in agricultural products; as well as financial support for establishments participating in domestic and foreign trade promotion fairs.

Regarding the overall and long-term tasks, My said: “In addition, the department will continue to accompany businesses to participate in trade promotion programmes, through organising more online seminars, linking with trading floors and e-commerce platforms, connecting social networking sites to help businesses find opportunities to exploit the market and sell products."

He added that Ha Noi's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development would also connect with provinces and cities to introduce businesses and cooperatives to bring goods to regional or national agricultural trade fairs to expand opportunities. — VNS