Government encourages domestic consumption of farm produce

Government encourages domestic consumption of farm produce

Methodical planning and major efforts are required to ensure effective consumption of farm produce amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnamese lychees have become well-known in Japan

The story of Vietnamese lychees

Since the beginning of June, Vietnamese trade offices in France, Japan and the Netherlands have been reporting good news about Vietnamese lychees. According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan, about 1,000 tonnes of fresh lychees will be exported to Japan this year. In addition to positive feedback from Japanese consumers, the Vietnamese community living and working in Japan has also given support to this fruit. Along with Japanese supermarket chains, several Vietnamese-owned businesses and stores have imported lychees and sold them directly or via online platforms to the Vietnamese community in Japan.

Vietnamese lychees have also attracted French consumers after being introduced to visitors at a Vietnamese cuisine festival in Paris. A representative of the prestigious Asia supermarket chain said he was planning to continue placing orders in order to meet market demand. Earlier this year, two shipments of lychees labeled with Vietnam’s itrace247 origin tracing stamp were imported into France and quickly sold out.

The Vietnam Trade Office in the Netherlands, LTP Import Export BV and Thanh Hung supermarket launched a joint campaign with the slogan “Vietnam fresh golden lychees - Taste it, love it”, generating orders from supermarkets in the Netherlands, France, Germany and Norway, ranging in size from hundreds of kilograms to a tonne.

Strong consumption in foreign markets has helped Vietnamese lychees avoid lower prices of bumper crops, especially in the difficult context of the Covid-19 pandemic. As of June 16, Bac Giang Province had consumed about 122,162 tonnes of lychees with average prices ranging from VND12,000 to VND29,000 per kg, including nearly 71,886 tonnes for local consumption and about 50,280 tonnes for export.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has boosted lychee sales by calling for the participation of various distribution channels and mobilizing all relevant units under its responsibility.

Perseverance and methodical plan

Hoang Minh Chien, deputy director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the ministry annually organizes trade promotion activities to strengthen consumption of lychees in particular and agricultural products in general.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has issued Instruction 08/CT-BCT on creating favorable conditions for circulation of goods and strengthening consumption of agricultural products in the domestic market. Backed by this instruction, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency has promoted coordination with localities to devise plans to support consumption. The participation of many departments and agencies, such as the Vietnam Directorate of Market Surveillance, the Domestic Market Department, the Ministry of Industry and Trade Office, the Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency and relevant ministries, is required to ensure effective consumption.

Support for consumption of agricultural products is annually implemented in a methodical manner via various distribution channels, such as markets, supermarkets and e-commerce platforms. In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has developed the itrace247 origin tracing stamp to help consumers check the stages from cultivation and harvesting to preservation and transportation. The stamp has received positive feedback from localities, purchasing units and foreign consumers.

VietNam Economic News