Farm produces encouraged to be on electronic floors

The solution to put agricultural products on the e-commerce platforms not only creates a favorable environment for farmers but also increases the efficiency of product consumption to help farmers to develop their businesses even during the complicated developments of Covid-19 epidemic.

Mangosteen orchard of Mr. Nguyen Van Ty at Suoi Cat hamlet in Thanh Tuyen commune of Dau Tieng district is in its harvest

Online solutions

Over the years, Binh Duong agricultural products have been set foothold in the markets as many traders have come to the production places to order. However, since the beginning of the year, due to the impact of Covid-19 epidemic, fewer traders have come to buy at the places, making the consumption deeply down. Up to now, many farmers are still struggling to find ways to sell their products as the orchards have entered the harvesting phase.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ty's orchard at Suoi Cat hamlet in Thanh Tuyen commune of Dau Tieng district, a 1-hectare area of more than 250 mangosteen stumps, is also in a difficult situation of sales even though it has been the harvesting time. Choosing to pick the dark red mangosteen fruits at the beginning of the season, Mr. Ty confided: "A few years ago, on average, the orchard harvest offered me 6 to 7 tons per year to earn VND 200-300 million a crop. This year, we lost the crops erratic weather, dropped prices, and sharply declined consumption due to the Covid-19 epidemic impacts. The Covid-19 epidemic has also affects the transportation of goods, so traders rarely come to the orchards to buy, where they even bargain the prices, so we, farmers, are facing a lot of difficulties.”

Let alone the orchard of Mr. Ty's, many farmers in Dau Tieng district have also fallen into the same situation. They reached out to the district Farmers' Union for assistance in finding sale destinations. Ms. Le Van Anh, Chairwoman of Dau Tieng District Farmers' Association, said: “We are also looking for purchasing markets to support local people. In addition to connection with industries and localities inside and outside of the province, at this time, district farmers' members are also helping them in the form of online sales through personal Zalo and Facebook accounts to share information widely in the hope of having more opportunities to expand the consumption market”.

Digital transformation in trade promotion activities in general and the agricultural sector in particular is the right development strategy and it is necessary to encourage and propagate widely to each farmer. In addition to branded e-commerce floors such as Lazada, Shopee, and Tiki, Viettel Post Binh Duong and the provincial Post Office are the "key" units that support local farmers to put agricultural products on the e-commerce floors. Recently, the provincial Post Office has coordinated with the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the provincial Department of Industry and Trade to advise and support farmers to consume agricultural products on the e-commerce floor through the Postmart website. Mr. Vo Van Tin, Director of the provincial Post Office, said: “It is expected that in the immediate future, priority will be given to agricultural products that meet OCCOP. For the time to come, we will mobilize staff of the province's Postal Service to cooperate with and guide farmers on how to put products on the e-commerce floors and step by step to operate their stores effectively; thereby, creating a more sustainable distribution channel for specific products of each locality.”

Trade promotion

Green-skinned pomelo on Bach Dang islet of Tan Uyen town has been famous for a long time and known to the markets in big cities. This is also the first agricultural product of the province to be officially listed on the e-commerce floor of Viettel Post Binh Duong Branch. Mr. Nguyen Huu Tam, Director of Bach Dang Pomelo Cooperative, said: “Bach Dang pomelos usually bear fruit all year round, but people focus on the peak harvest in the season nearing the Lunar New Year. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the consumption of pomelo this year is slower and lower than other years. To actively find the selling channels, last year we piloted to put goods on Viettel Post's e-commerce floor. During the epidemic, we have flexibly consumed goods through many channels including a fanpage on our Facebook account to sell goods."

The Department of Industry and Trade has also coordinated with sectors and agencies to focus on promoting the application of information technology to innovate trade promotion methods and promote local product brands through digital technology platforms. This is considered an appropriate measure in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic as well as a long-term orientation to save costs and increase efficiency.