Vietnam boosts farm produce sales in traditional markets

The Vietnam Cooperative Union for Safe Agricultural Consumption (UCA) under the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance has developed a UCA supermarket chain, known as UCA Mart, in order to increase Vietnamese agriculture produce’s share in the local and overseas market.

The Union has worked with more than 100 cooperatives nationwide to turn out safe farm produce, especialy regional specialties. The products can be traced to their origin and certified for food hygiene and safety.

Pham Manh Tuan, Chairman of the UCA Board of Directors, says that in Vietnam there are hundreds of cooperatives producing safe agricultural products but they haven’t gained a firm position in the market due to the market’s fierce competitiveness and the proliferation of unsafe food.

He says UCA Mart is a bridge linking Vietnamese farm produce with farmers.

“We manage the whole chain from production to transportation. Our vehicles go to the farmers’ fields to gather farm produce and transport to preliminary treatment areas before packaging and moving them to points of sale,” Tuan added.

The Vietnam Cooperative Union for Safe Agricultural Consumption plans to work with safe farm produce cooperatives nationwide to establish large-scale production zones.

Farm produce sold in the UCA supermarket chain is strictly controlled by UCA chapters across the country.

Nguyen Thi Tham, Deputy Director of the Da Mai Safe Vegetable Production Cooperative, said “We have benefited from the UCA buying our vegetables. They go to our fields and determine which vegetables are qualified or unqualified. They strictly follow the prescribed process.”