Việt Nam is working to develop a system of modern agricultural product supply centres to promote the consumption of farm produce, enhance food safety and hygiene and improve the competitive edge of Vietnamese goods.

At a workshop in Hà Nội yesterday, head of the Central Coordination Office for New-style Rural Area Building Nguyễn Minh Tiến said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is developing a project on the supply system with the support of the French Embassy in Việt Nam and the French Development Agency (AFD).

According to Tiến, the move will help realise the national target programme on new style rural area building for 2016-2020 by creating a sustainable consumption channel for local produce and connecting farmers and distributors to set up concentrated cultivation areas for local agricultural products.

The supply system will enable consumers to trace the origins of goods so they can feel confident about the quality of Vietnamese products.

Vice Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Sửu said the city has huge annual demand for farm products including some 890,000 tonnes of rice, 139,000 tonnes of pork, 42,000 tonnes of chicken, 54,000 tonnes of seafood and 900,000 tonnes of vegetables.

Most local produce is sold through traditional channels like wet markets, wholesale markets and street markets, with very little on sale in supermarkets or convenience stores.

Sửu said that as the city’s 124 supermarkets only meet 20 per cent of demand for food, it is necessary to develop the supply system to control food safety and increase the capacity to supply large amounts of good for both local consumption and export.

(VNA)