More than 1,000 agricultural and specialty products from over 20 provinces and cities across the country are being exhibited at Gigamall in HCM City’s Thu Duc city as part of the Regional Agricultural and Specialty Product Festival.

The products meet quality standards accepted in the country such as VietGap, organic, HACCP and ISO, and also have High-quality Vietnamese goods certification or geographical indication, or are typical agricultural products under the national Once Commune One Product programme.

Besides buying products at “special prices,” visitors to the festival can also listen to business stories shared by start-ups and other companies and co-operatives, experience traditional silk weaving by the ethnic Thai people, witness the process of making herbal soaps and natural essential oils, and learn how to make sweet soups, traditional cakes and special dishes from different regions.

Organised from April 28 to May 2 by the Business Association of Vietnamese High Quality Products and Gigamall with the support of USAID's Improving Private Sector Competitiveness project, the event will also feature a music night to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the recognition of ‘Don ca tai tu’ (southern folk music) as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, a game show, and a panel discussion on green lifestyle – healthy foods.

Pham Nguyen Thai Huy, deputy general director of the Gigamall Vietnam Service Trading Investment JSC, said the programme aims to enable start-ups and traditional craft villages to show off their products to customers in the city.

After the festival, the company will continue to maintain links with businesses and co-operatives to help display and sell their products at the supermarket, he said.

The exhibition, to be held during the long Liberation Day and May Day holidays, is expected to attract large crowds. — VNS