Phu My Garden celebrates first anniversary: First steps on a long journey

After a meticulous and lengthy development process, as a new product line targeting an entirely new market segment and customer base, Phu My Garden products from the PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemicals Corporation (PVFCCo) have begun to make a notable impact, receiving recognition and positive feedback from customers.

In response to the inevitable trend of urban agriculture development, PVFCCo introduced the Phu My fertilizer line called Phu My Garden, which is targeted at urban agriculture, on November 18, 2022. This product line meets the criteria of "Convenience – Safety – Class," offering high-quality fertilizers suitable for a variety of common crops in urban areas, packaged in modern and convenient packaging with multiple volume options.

After one year of entering the market, Phu My Garden received positive feedback from distributors, agricultural suppliers, ornamental plant sellers, and consumers. Accordingly, the team responsible for the urban agriculture sector at PVFCCo overcame significant difficulties and challenges to achieve these initial positive results.

Mr. Le Hoang Huy, a marketing officer at the PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemicals Corporation Southeast (PVFCCo-PSE), shared that initially, the urban agriculture team faced substantial challenges in accurately identifying the "profile" of customers for this new product line. Namely, several aspects including target customers, their purchasing behavior and consumption habits, factors influencing their purchasing behavior must be thoroughly explored to establish a suitable marketing approach.

Subsequently, the compnay's business and marketing team adopted an entirely different business mindset in respones to challenges. They engaged in field work, studied new approaches, and reviewed and adjusted procedures to suit the urban agricultural sector. Additionally, the support, logistics, packaging, and delivery system differ significantly from traditional business in rural areas.

Despite these challenges, the urban agriculture team was supported by several favorable factors. Firstly, PVFCCo was correct in its business and marketing strategy. Accordingly, the Corporation determines the effectiveness of the Phu My Garden product line not only in economic terms but also in extending the reach of the Phu My fertilizer brand to new urban areas, thereby enhancing the Corporation's brand value.

Secondly, the team received active support from the production block at the Factory, including: the introduction of various formulas, printing lines, automatic packaging lines, which contributed significantly to improving the quality and appearance of the product. Thirdly, one of the most important factors contributing to the momentum of Phu My Garden is the position and strength of the Phu My brand. After twenty years of development, the Phu My fertilizer brand has been firmly established, providing a solid foundation for the new product line.

In addition to a strong supporting infrastructure, the most crucial factor is the determination of the urban agriculture team members. Product introduction during the initial stages posed a substantial challenge. Namely, field marketing team members were often faced with rejection from customers who were afraid of marketing schemes. Despite the demoralizing prospects of these situations, the marketing team members persevered in promoting the new product line, convincing stores to sell their product.

One year after Phu My Garden's introduction to the market, nearly 150,000 bags of Phu My Garden have been delivered nationwide to "urban farmers" through traditional distribution channels such as ornamental plant sellers, agricultural supply stores, as well as modern distribution channels such as the e-commerce platforms of Shopee, Lazada, and supermarket chains such as the Aeon Mall distribution system, ensuring customer service across the country.

The market for products catering to urban agriculture including fertilizers and other supplies such as seeds, seedlings, pots, soil/media, gardening tools, biopesticides, etc. possesses considerable potentials for development. Additionally, the urbanization process in Vietnam is occurring at an increasingly rapid pace. Residents in the city are showing increasing interest in creating green spaces, small gardens within their homes, not only for relaxation and landscaping but also for harvesting clean products for consumption and trading. In response to this trend, PVFCCo has aimed to provide a comprehensive package of products and services, including design, construction, agricultural supply, regular care, and harvesting, for the urban agriculture sector.

Accordingly, Phu My Garden is the first step on this challenging but potentially rewarding journey.