MM Mega Market Vietnam presented badges of honour to 20 farmers for being its partners for 10 years in the Da Lat Vegetable Platform.

They are part of the 300 farmers with whom the wholesaler works closely in its three key source areas in Lam Dong Province, Don Duong District, Duc Trong District and Da Lat City.

Launched in 2005, the Da Lat Vegetable Platform is one of the few facilities in the country that provide safe foods.

The depot, which sources from 250ha of farm lands, supplies more than 12,000 tonnes of VietGAP-certified vegetables and fruits every year.

Phidsanu Pongwatana, managing director of MM, said: “To expand safe vegetable production and supply chains, we have for many years emphasised joint business activities with farming households in Lam Dong Province. One thing we have been every good at over the last decade, among many others, is to train the farmers to produce vegetables and fruits of the highest safety standards.

“MM has carefully recruited quality farms and held training programmes, while our agricultural engineers work with the farmers every step of the way.

“We want to develop sustainable partnerships with local farmers on a win-win basis, and many farmers have actually had more than a decade doing business with us.

“To move on with our plan of exporting to the 700-mall Big C system in Thailand, we will continue widening and intensifying partnerships with local farmers to materialise our aim of doubling the current vegetable supply capacity and expanding production land to 400 hectares."

MM now runs three platforms: for vegetables in Da Lat, for fish in Can Tho and pork in Dong Nai.

At all of them, MM applies VietGAP and HACCP standards. A fruit platform is set to be launched soon in Ben Tre Province to achieve the company’s plan of exporting fruits to Thailand. — VNS