November 6, 2024 | 05:03 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Saturday- 10:30, 18/12/2021

Building a sustainable vegetable value chain with smallholder farmers

(VAN) On December 17, a conference to summarize the program ‘Building a sustainable vegetable value chain with smallholder farmers in Vietnam’ for the 2017-2021 period was held in Tuyen Quang province.

The program "Building a sustainable vegetable value chain with smallholder farmers in Vietnam" for the 2017-2021 period is implemented by provinces and cities including Hanoi, Da Nang, Vinh Phuc, Tuyen Quang, and Ha Nam, coordinated with Rikolto In Vietnam ('Rikolto').

The volume of safe vegetables produced reached 14,000 tonnes, more than 50% compared to the expected (8,500 tonnes).

The volume of safe vegetables produced reached 14,000 tonnes, more than 50% compared to the expected (8,500 tonnes).

The total areas applied to the PGS model have increased by 3 times

The total areas applied to the PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) model have increased by 3 times after 5 years of program implementation. It has exceeded expectations, rising to 228 hectares compared to the original plan as 70 hectares. The number of farmers directly benefiting from the program is 1,258 people.

The volume of safe vegetables produced reached 14,000 tonnes, more than 50% compared to the expected (8,500 tonnes). The vegetable quantity for collective consumption reached 6,000 tonnes, increased by 1.5 times than expected (4,000 tonnes).

The results of cooperatives' fruit and vegetable samples that participated in the inspection from 2017 until now show that all cooperatives have met the quality criteria for food safety. As a result, an estimated 200,000 consumers have benefited from the program.

Four provinces have issued PGS implementation guidelines for safe vegetables locally, including Ha Nam, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, and Da Nang provinces. It is evidence that the recognition and application of PGS as an effective and reliable quality assurance tool by localities while creating a favorable environment for management agencies, organizations, and individuals wishing to access, learn and apply PGS in production.

The application of PGS in production areas has helped strengthen the quality control of safe vegetables, raise awareness, roles, and responsibilities of farmers in the safe production, contribute to protecting the ecological environment, and especially form group linkages among smallholder farmers to increase competitiveness in product consumption.

Some farmer groups have split up to form cooperatives or found a stable and beneficial product consumption channel, such as farmer groups in Dang Xa commune, Gia Lam district, Tien Le commune, Hoai Duc district.

The program 'Building a sustainable vegetable value chain with smallholder farmers in Vietnam' for the 2017-2021 period is implemented by provinces and cities including Hanoi, Da Nang, Vinh Phuc, Tuyen Quang, and Ha Nam, coordinated with Rikolto In Vietnam.

The program "Building a sustainable vegetable value chain with smallholder farmers in Vietnam" for the 2017-2021 period is implemented by provinces and cities including Hanoi, Da Nang, Vinh Phuc, Tuyen Quang, and Ha Nam, coordinated with Rikolto In Vietnam.

Successfully replicate the PSG model

Typical success in developing and expanding the model is An Hoa Agricultural Service Cooperative Trading in agricultural products, Tam Duong district, Vinh Phuc province. This is one of the first three cooperatives supported by Rikolto in Vinh Phuc province.

From an average output of 4-5 tonnes per day in 2018, the Cooperative has now increased to 10-20 tonnes. The members of the Cooperative's Management Board are equipped with knowledge of production organization, search for markets, have better managed the activities of the cooperative, created more jobs, and increased incomes for participating members, develop a variety of products and serve a wide range of customers such as collective kitchens, processing companies, supermarkets, etc.

Due to the increased customers, the Cooperative has expanded the raw material areas to neighboring areas and Tuyen Quang province, with nearly 300 participating households. The total areas have reached 100 hectares per year, mainly in Son Duong, Na Hang, Son Duong, Yen Son, and Chiem Hoa districts.

These are the places where ethnic minorities gather, from which the Cooperative has helped people increase their income and develop sustainable livelihoods, contributing to changing the local crop structure and creating a production-consumption chain.

The conference summarizing the program 'Building a sustainable vegetable value chain with smallholder farmers in Vietnam' for the 2017-2021 period was held in Tuyen Quang province on December 17, 2021.

The conference summarizing the program "Building a sustainable vegetable value chain with smallholder farmers in Vietnam" for the 2017-2021 period was held in Tuyen Quang province on December 17, 2021.

However, the program still has some shortcomings, such as the limited capacity of some cooperatives, leading to a lack of synchronization in the implementation of PGS in some places. In addition, the cooperative's ability of market connectivity is facing many difficulties; some areas have not been closely linked with businesses to create a sustainable value chain and have not yet attracted the participation of young people.

Mrs. Hoang My Lan, Regional Director of Rikolto, said, "In the past 5 years, we have focused on connecting producers, promoting the production of vegetables and safe products to connect with the market".

“In the coming time, we will focus on building a smart food city, which will target the producer group and the consumer group at schools and traditional markets. And we very much look forward to working with business cooperatives or enterprises to be the locomotives to link and connect the overarching chain with the manufacturing industry to have a broader impact,” said Mrs. Lan.

In addition, Rikolto will also promote working with multilateral parties to jointly come up with solutions to meet the needs of all parties in terms of production, processing, and state management to ensure that people produce safe, sustainable, and affordable. From there, all consumers have access to these products.

Author: Minh Phuc

Translated by Ha Phuc

Launch of new tea varieties and sustainable tea cultivation solutions

Launch of new tea varieties and sustainable tea cultivation solutions

(VAN) On the morning of November 5, the new tea varieties and tea cultivation techniques were introduced at the "Connecting production and consumption of high-quality tea" forum.

Household pig farming has lifeline thanks to ASF vaccine: 'While there's life, there's hope,' unexpectedly find 'secret'

Household pig farming has lifeline thanks to ASF vaccine: 'While there's life, there's hope,' unexpectedly find 'secret'

(VAN) In March 2024, pig farming households in Bong Mac village, Lien Mac commune, Me Linh district (Hanoi) all lost everything, except for the farm of Mr. Hoang Van Chuyen's family.

Cloned black-footed ferret gives birth for first time ever, a landmark in Colorado-based reintroduction efforts

Cloned black-footed ferret gives birth for first time ever, a landmark in Colorado-based reintroduction efforts

(VAN) Proof clones can reproduce safely is key to restoration of severely endangered ferrets and other species, experts say.

Ninh Thuan is on the way to becoming the capital of high-quality shrimp seed production

Ninh Thuan is on the way to becoming the capital of high-quality shrimp seed production

(VAN) Ninh Thuan approved the project to develop the shrimp seed production industry with the goal of becoming the country's high-quality shrimp seed production center in the 2021-2030 period.

Pig farming households gain a new lifeline with ASF vaccine

Pig farming households gain a new lifeline with ASF vaccine

(VAN) Pham Trung Hieu, a farmer in Ha Thach Commune, Phu Tho Town, has vaccinated his entire pig herd against the African swine fever (ASF).

Many innovative initiatives can help the seafood industry make a green transition

Many innovative initiatives can help the seafood industry make a green transition

On November 2, the Department of Science and Technology of Ba Ria-Vung Tau organized the final round and awarded prizes for the 2024 "Innovative Solutions in the seafood industry" competition in the province.

Denali transforms billions of organic byproducts into animal feed, fertilizer

Denali transforms billions of organic byproducts into animal feed, fertilizer

(VAN) Company reveals key findings that demonstrate its ongoing advancement of the circular economy.

Read more