Farmers in Thap Muoi district are helped to sell vegetables and fruits.

Thap Muoi district has established a team to help local farmers sell their agricultural products. Team members keep track of production, harvest schedules, and traders’ purchasing power. Collected data is posted on Zalo and Facebook to help farmers balance their supply of agricultural products to local demand. Thap Muoi district will ask for help from the province to sell any excess produce.

Farmers in My Hoa commune found it hard to sell the relatively few lemons they produce.

Dang Hong Ngoc Tu, Deputy Secretary of the commune’s Youth Union, said problem has been resolved.

“The Youth Union came up with the idea of making dishwashing liquid from the lemons. The profit is used to buy gifts for disadvantaged villagers affected by the pandemic,” said Tu.

The support team sell agricultural products for farmers

According to Le Van Ngot, Deputy Chairman of Thap Muoi district People's Committee, the district team is trying to help local farm households sell lemons, frogs, and yellow catfish that are about to be harvested. Thap Muoi is asking departments and agencies to help them sell farm produce through supermarkets and convenience stores, said Ngot.

Ngot added that transportation problems are another headache for farmers at harvest time.

“The district is facilitating the transport of agricultural products by allowing trucks to enter the area. But to prevent spreading the coronavirus, anyone involved in the work must be vaccinated and have a quick test before entering the commune,” according to Ngot.

Dong Thap has worked with agencies to help farm households sell longans to Hanoi and put other agricultural products on an e-commerce platform.  

Vo Tien Thanh, Director of the provincial Center for Trade, Tourism and Investment Promotion, said the agricultural products that are overproduced and looking for immediate buyers include longans, oranges, lemons, tra fish, red tilapia, and frogs.

A review of the inventories is being conducted and relayed to distributors and traders, according to Thanh.  

He said, “The promotion center and the Department of Industry and Trade are in charge of introducing these goods and the Department contacts supermarkets and shopping centers. Each month, we prioritize products to be produced and sold.”

Dong Thap province has worked closely with businesses, supermarkets, convenience stores, and the Southern Working Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, known as Working Group 970, to list farm produce on e-commerce platforms to increase sales amid the COVID-19 epidemic.