Channels Expansion for Connection of Supermarkets and Farmers

​

Department of Industry and Trade leaders surveyed the actual agricultural stall at Lotte Mart Dong Nai on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2020

Large demand of market linkage activities

According to many businesses and agricultural production cooperatives, supermarket is not only a distribution channel, but also a channel to promote products with many advantages; but on the other hand, it is not easy to develop into a stable consumption channel due to the high standard requirements in terms of technical standards, necessary certifications, as well as a number of constraints on the amount of goods, the costs incurred... in the supply process.

Representative of a cooperative specializing in providing durian and rambutan clean, according to VietGAP in Long Thanh district, said that, Currently, the cooperative is mainly consumed directly from small orders, only a small amount of orders are supplied to convenience stores, mini supermarkets...One of the constraints when you want to put goods into big supermarkets is the high packaging and shipping costs to ensure the requirements of the supermarket's goods, limiting the proportion of damaged and unsatisfactory products ...

Mr. Pham Van Hung, Sales Director of the Southern Region of MM Mega Market system shared that, at present, this unit wishes to have more meetings with people, businesses, cooperatives producing and processing agricultural products with the units to capture information and understand each other's needs, as well as finding solutions to solve the “bottlenecks” of product supply conditions to the supermarket, some problems in the contract, etc. And from thence, it is possible to develop more channels to sell quality agricultural products, ensuring safety standards for the strong local agricultural products, including Dong Nai.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Le Cao Tuan, Director of Lotte Mart Dong Nai, said the supermarket wanted more opportunities to exchange and share information with gardeners and production units in the province in order to develop more agricultural and specialty stores of the locality, which ensuring quality, safety and meeting the standards of the supermarket.

Improving the effectiveness of advertising and product introduction

According to experts, in order for local goods in general and agricultural products, local specialties can develop distribution channels, especially in supermarkets, retail systems, businesses, manufacturers, cooperatives need to be proactive in promoting and introducing goods to the supermarket systems to connect, not just passive waiting for distributors to find sources. In addition, the role of authorities and localities in connecting trade should also be paid more attention, along with long-term plans. According to the Department of Industry and Trade, over the past time, the Department has organized trade promotion activities, connecting supply and demand for many businesses and cooperatives in the province with other localities, as well as many retail systems.

In particular, the company has promoted trade promotion activities for farmers - agriculture - rural areas with programs, conference of connecting trade between cooperatives and cooperatives in the province with Dau Giay agricultural and food wholesale market and some supermarkets in the province; workshops on linking production with consumption of agricultural products among cooperatives, cooperative groups, clubs, farms and good farmers in the province, etc.

Regarding solutions to support businesses, it is necessary to create conditions for stability, production and business, the Department of Industry and Trade will regularly renew the forms of trade promotion for key products of the province, especially key agricultural products. In particular, focusing on developing traditional and key markets, at the same time, developing new markets, creating exchanges, seeking opportunities for cooperation between businesses, forming sustainable value chains, and so on.

Mr. Le Van Loc, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said that in the coming time, Department of Industry and Trade will continue to seek and support businesses in the province to participate in trade programs, connecting local goods and products in and outside the province.

The Department is expected to coordinate with supermarkets, retail systems and localities with more special topics and plans to find more ways to develop distribution channels for specialty fruits and local agricultural products through seminars and exchanges between the related-parties.

Phan Anh