Connecting supply-demand - 'Golden key' for sustainable agriculture

Agricultural stalls at Co.op Mart Ben Luc are kept at the right temperature to keep vegetables fresh

Effective supply-demand connection

Over the years, the Department of Industry and Trade has coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to actively implement policies to promote safe supply-demand connections for agricultural products. Industial, trade and e-commerce promotion activities have helped many businesses in the province find potential partners and expand their consumption markets. Since the beginning of 2024, more than 650 businesses have participated in trade connection events. Long An agricultural products are currently strongly consumed in large distribution systems such as Co.op, San Ha, Go, with an output of 340-360 tons/night at major wholesale markets such as Binh Dien, Hoc Mon, etc.

Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade - Chau Thi Le said: “We always strive to coordinate with enterprises and cooperatives to connect and bring safe agricultural products of the province to the market. In addition to expanding domestic consumption, the Department also regularly supports enterprises to participate in international fairs in China and Thailand; coordinates with foreign agencies such as Gabon, Australia, and the US, helping enterprises have more opportunities to access large markets, expand production scale and affirm the quality of local agricultural products”.

Supply - demand connection activities have brought about clear results, helping enterprises sign 282 contracts to supply goods with enterprises in provinces and cities. In the first 9 months of 2024, the total import and export turnover in the province is estimated to reach more than 9.57 billion USD. Exports are estimated to reach more than 5.82 billion USD, an increase of 12.62%; of which rice is 331 million USD, an increase of 20.04%.

Large-scale trade promotion programs create conditions for enterprises in the province to affirm their position, expand distribution channels and increase competitiveness in the international market.

In recent times, Saigon Co.op has carried out many activities to connect the supply and demand of safe agricultural products, meeting the consumption needs of clean and safe agricultural products of consumers. These activities not only provide safe and diverse agricultural products to customers but also demonstrate the role of supporting, connecting, and developing sustainably with farmers and localities.

Agricultural products stall at Co.opmart Ben Luc

Co.op Mart Ben Luc is a branch in the Co.op chain, so it also follows the activities. Director of Co.op Mart Ben Luc - Tran Thi Hong Quyen said that in order to select and cooperate with agricultural product suppliers, the supermarket consider a number of important criteria to ensure product quality, meeting customer needs and protecting reputation.

“Agricultural products must be of quality, which is assessed through freshness, flavor, food safety and hygiene certification such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, etc, clear and transparent origin and source, stable supply capacity and reasonable price, reputable supplier. In general, customers appreciate safe agricultural products in supermarkets and tend to return to shop if the products meet the criteria of safety, quality and reasonable price” - Ms. Quyen shared more.

Creating favorable conditions

The province currently has 294 growing area codes, with a total area of ​​14,121.95 hectares, supplying the international market; at the same time, there are 170 packaging facilities in operation. To ensure quality, every year, the Department of Cultivation, Plant Protection and Agricultural Product Quality Management of the province conducts product sampling and testing according to the monitoring program.

In addition, the Department randomly inspects products in the supply chain, issuing certificates for products that meet standards.

Head of the Department of Cultivation, Plant Protection and Agricultural Product Quality Management of the province - Nguyen Van Cuong said that connecting supply and demand of safe agricultural products brings about efficiency such as ensuring stable output, gradually developing and expanding the market, improving product quality, improving farmers' income and developing sustainable agriculture. The Department supports the construction and connection of 35 safe food supply chains, with an estimated output of 151,000 tons/year.

Thuan My Agricultural Cooperative (Chau Thanh District) regularly participates in supply-demand promotion festivals

For agricultural products in the safe food supply chain, the Department supports 2,511,000 QR code stamps for 21 chain-certified establishments. Thanks to that, consumers can proactively trace the origin from production, harvesting to distribution, thereby making smart purchasing decisions, promoting the consumption of safe products.

To expand the agricultural product consumption market, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development actively supports enterprises and cooperatives to connect with major e-commerce platforms such as the Supply - Demand Connection Trading Platform of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Postmart (National e-commerce platform), etc.

In addition, the Department also regularly organizes conferences and seminars connecting farmers with processing enterprises, creating favorable conditions for product trading.

Understanding the importance of food safety, Thuan My Agricultural Cooperative (Chau Thanh district) applies VietGAP standards in production processes. The cooperative's strengths are dragon fruit and melons, certified for food safety supply chains.

Each month, the cooperative produces 15-20 tons of dragon fruit, mainly sold to warehouses in the district (because the cooperative can not export dragon fruit); produces 8-10 tons/month of melons, mainly sold domestically.

Director of Thuan My Agricultural Cooperative - Nguyen Hong Quang said: “Participating in the supply chain of safe vegetables, members must ensure safe production, are guided in selecting varieties, caring, harvesting and packaging. To ensure the balance of supply and demand, the cooperative proactively signs contracts with enterprises and supermarkets, not only helping farmers feel secure in production with stable prices but also opening up many opportunities to bring products to domestic and foreign consumers”.

Agricultural products of My Thanh Agricultural Cooperative (Thu Thua district) are cleaned up before being delivered to customers

For a long time, My Thanh Agricultural Cooperative (Thu Thua district) has become an important bridge to help farmers consume agricultural products stably and sustainably. With 34 capital contributors and more than 100 associate members, the cooperative has expanded production in many localities such as Thu Thua, Tan An City, Moc Hoa, etc, creating conditions for agricultural products to be consumed at large supermarket chains such as Co.op, companies in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces and cities, Bach Hoa Xanh system, San Ha, etc.

Sales Director of My Thanh Cooperative - Le Thi Hang said: “Currently, customers' standards for choosing agricultural products are getting higher and stricter. With more than 35 hectares of various vegetables such as cucumber, squash, bitter melon, luffa, taro, etc, the cooperative supplies about 5 tons of agricultural products per day on average. Participating in supply-demand connection conferences helps us connect more with businesses and restaurants, thereby stabilizing consumption output, bringing long-term benefits to farmers”.

Connecting supply and demand for safe agricultural products in the province has brought about positive results, helping farmers stabilize output and increase the value of agricultural products. Through connection programs, many agricultural products of the province have reached large markets. This not only helps increase farmers' income but also builds consumer confidence in the quality of local products, contributing to the development of sustainable agriculture./.

By Staffs - Translated by Q. Thien

Source: https://baolongan.vn/ket-noi-cung-cau-an-toan-chia-khoa-vang-cho-nong-nghiep-ben-vung-a184860.html