Agricultural producers focus on brand development

More domestic agricultural producers have invested significantly in building and protecting their brands in the past few years, seeing it an effective measure to boost their exports.

Hoa Loc mango brand has been promoted well in the world market

According to experts, Vietnam is among the world’s largest exporters of many agricultural products like coffee, pepper, cashew, fruits and vegetables, however, 80 percent of the products are exported without brand names and sold in foreign markets under foreign trademarks, which is a big disadvantage for Vietnamese’s agricultural production. 

Realizing it, more producers have paid due heed to brand’s development and some have been promoted well in the world market like Phu Quoc fish sauce, Buon Ma Thuot coffee, Binh Thuan dragon fruit, Hung Yen longan and Hoa Loc mango.

Besides focusing on brand development, several exports also access to new distribution channels to bring Vietnamese’s agricultural products closer to foreign customers.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), agricultural export turnover alone reached billions of dollars per year, in which export value through supermarket chains makes up a high proportion. 

Experts said that selling Vietnamese agricultural products via supermarket chains such as Big C, MM Mega Market, Lotte, Aeon can easily focus the key products of Vietnam like agriculture - forestry - fishery, processed food, consumer goods, thereby boosting total export volume. 

Experts take Vien Phu Production And Trading Joint Stock Company as an example. Its organic rice brand “Hoa Sua” acquired a big reputation in Britain’s markets thanks to the promotion of products through ecommerce websites and Facebook pages. 

Meanwhile, another firm which also achieved the similar success is R2D Food Technology Science Joint Stock Company. By accessing to Alibaba.com and Lazada, this company promoted its “no smoke coconut charcoal” as well as searched international customers. 

Le Thi Hien, director of R2D said this is a necessary strategy to build the company’s brand globally. In this way, R2R’s charcoal got a strong position in Hong Kong’s markets and soon penetrates into US and EU markets. 

According to Jeffey Yu, Merchandise Director of the Giant Singapore supermarket chain, when considering fruits products from Vietnam, he recognized potentials from other Vietnamese goods, adding that he hopes to expand business in Vietnam. 

Besides achievements, Nguyen Thai Dung, Deputy General Director of Big C Thang Long admitted that there are many Vietnamese products which do not draw foreign consumers’ attentions due to unattractive package or dull designs. 

In addition to this, a number of enterprises do not really understand the importance of branding development and product standards. 

Therefore, other relevant agencies, especially agriculture extension centers and export promotion centers shall play more parts in providing exporters information about markets and legal regulations.

Le Viet Nga, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Domestic Market Department said that in the coming time, the MoIT shall organize Vietnam international goods weeks while intensively supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to put their products into the distribution system of foreign invested enterprise.