Building Rural Market System

 

​Dong Nai’s agricultural products are sold well at Dau Giay Agro-food Wholesale Market (Thong Nhat District). Photo by Phan Anh.

Investment in rural trade infrastructure is also one of the important criteria. The localities also pay great attention to this criterion because it serves the essential living needs of the rural population.

Towards a Civilized and Modern Market System

Up to now, the province has developed 160 markets which are operating in its planning, including 1 wholesale market, 9 I-grade markets, 30 II-grade markets and 120 II-grade markets. This market system has contributed to solving social security, jobs and income for over 20,000 business households. In addition, it has 5 trade centers and 12 supermarkets in operation. The system of markets, trade centers, shops, etc., basically meets the needs of consuming goods and agricultural products for farmers, and supply of goods to serve the essential needs of local consumers.

As reported by the Provincial Department of Industry and Trade, investment in rural trade infrastructure is the number 7 criterion in the set of criteria for building NRAs. To accomplish this criterion, the Provincial People’s Committee in general, the provincial industry and trade in particular have deployed many solutions synchronously, such as: promulgating many legal documents to support the development of rural commercial infrastructure; step by step reducing the spontaneous business situation, stabilizing the business situation, developing trade - service in rural areas. The province also organizes the implementation of the trade and service development planning; planning for market network development; rural trade development project in Dong Nai province; Developing mechanisms, policies and support to build Vietnamese point-of-sale under the keyword “Pride of Vietnamese goods” in order to meet consumers demand with essential goods in localities that have not yet invested in building markets.

For many years, Dong Nai has been implementing a pilot program to build a safe food chain from production to supply and consumption at many traditional markets. Accordingly, many stalls selling fresh foods such as meat, vegetables,…at traditional markets in Tan Phu District, Vinh Cuu are labeled with the recognition of non-banned meat; vegetables and fruits under the control of plant protection drugs, etc. Training programs on food safety and hygiene, sales skills for small businesses are also held annually.

Ms. Tran Thi Lan, a small trader selling pork at Phuong Lam market (Tan Phu district said that her stalls joined the safe food chain, so the origin of pork was controlled from the farmer and slaughtered at Lifsap slaughterhouse; Samples are taken by local veterinarians to check without banned substances, and products meeting safety standards have just been put on stalls for sale to consumers. Ms. Lan’s meat stall is affixed with logo and signboard to recognize the safe product, so it is trusted by consumers.

Linking of Agricultural Consumption

Dong Nai’s agricultural products are sold well at Dau Giay Agro-food Wholesale Market (Thong Nhat District). Photo by Phan Anh.

In addition to the traditional market system, Dong Nai is also interested in investing in building Dau Giay Agro-food Wholesale Market (Thong Nhat District) with a scale of 55 hectares, with a total investment of over VND 1,400 billion in order to organize a focal point for agricultural product consumption in the province. During Phase 1, the market is invested with an area of 2ha with a scale of 216 cells, barns, kiosks with a total cost of nearly VND 50 billion. After more than 3 years of operation, up to now, 100% of the market’s kiosks have been filled, agricultural consumption has steadily increased each year with consumption average of 250-300 tons of agricultural products per day&night. Particularly during the peak of holidays, Tet, consumption is up to 500-700 tons per day & night.

Over the past time, Dau Giay Agro-food Wholesale Market has regularly organized its connection programs to bring Dong Nai’s agricultural products to this market. Accordingly, Dong Nai’s agricultural products account for an overwhelming proportion of 50-55% of the total output of consumed agricultural products. Mr. Dao Van Cuong, a trader specializing in buying fruit in Tan Phu and Dinh Quan districts, etc., and brought to retail at local markets. When Dau Giay wholesale market came into operation, Mr. Chuong brought fruit here for consumption. According to Mr. Chuong: “Wholesale markets operate locally, near agricultural areas, helping traders to save significantly on transportation costs. On the other hand, the wholesale market is a bridge to open up opportunities for cooperatives and traders to find big customers to consume fruit - not only in the domestic market, but also opens up opportunities to find partners for the export market”.

Investing in phase 2, Dong Nai People’s Committee has approved the plan to expand the Dau Giay Agro-food Wholesale Market with a scale of 48 hectares, including: processing zones, technical zones, service areas, centralized cold storage and testing centers, irradiation zones, etc., with the goal of becoming a major wholesale market in the region of the southern provinces.

Phan Anh