350 tons of agricultural products and Lai Chau's 'no distance' business method

If you start from the center of Hanoi , it will take you about eight hours to reach Lai Chau city. The winding road of more than 400 km through the steep mountain pass once made Lai Chau almost "isolated" from the largest agricultural consumption market in the North - that story is now different.

From the green tea hills in Tam Duong to the macadamia gardens in Tan Uyen, people, goods and data are flowing every day. A new rhythm of life is spreading to every village in Lai Chau . There, technology is not only a tool but also an opportunity for people to change their lives.

A few years ago, the concept of “online sales” was still unfamiliar to most people. But now, women in the highlands know how to open their phones, record videos , and introduce their agricultural products on digital platforms. From traditional markets, people have entered the e-commerce space – where customers can come from Hanoi, Da Nang or even Japan.

Highlanders are guided by Viettel Post to participate in sales on e-commerce platforms.

No distance

The “Agricultural Journey” project was born from the desire to conquer all distances. This is an agricultural digital transformation initiative initiated by Viettel Post since August 2025, aiming to build a modern agricultural economic model with the goal of helping highland agricultural products access a wider market through digitalization.

“Digital transformation in agriculture is an important direction. We coordinate with Viettel Post and other digital platforms to help agricultural products and OCOP products such as tea, macadamia, bananas, Séng Cù rice, honey, etc. reach domestic and foreign consumers directly,” said Vice Chairman of Lai Chau Provincial People’s Committee, Tong Thanh Hai.

From there, training classes were opened. People were instructed on how to take product photos, write attractive descriptions, create online stores, and even confidently livestream to sell products. Viettel Post logistics experts also helped people standardize packaging, preservation, and transportation - so that each tea package and each bottle of honey retains the flavor of the highlands when it reaches customers.

After less than three months, the results exceeded expectations. The hashtag #HanhTrinhNongSan reached nearly 30 million views on TikTok, becoming one of the most prominent community campaigns in 2025. In the livestream session on November 4 alone, after more than four hours of broadcasting, more than 2,500 orders were closed, with a total reach exceeding 10 million, contributing to the consumption of 350 tons of agricultural products for Lai Chau people.

But behind the numbers are very real stories. For example, Ms. Vu Bich Hong (Tiktoker Co Ba Hong) has moved to Lai Chau to settle down for nearly 2 years, with the goal of bringing agricultural products from this northern mountainous province to the rest of the country, even abroad.

Many highland families maintain an income of 8-10 million/month thanks to livestreaming to sell agricultural products.

Not only self-motivated, Ms. Hong also directly supported people to livestream to sell products. From initial skepticism, she gradually believed in the power of technology when the first orders from Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Da Nang... started to "explode".

Up to now, about 20 ethnic women in Lai Chau have known how to livestream to sell products, among them some have a stable income of 10 million VND/month, one household sold 300 tons of ginseng potatoes in two months.

“Thanks to the digital platform, Lai Chau people can not only sell agricultural products but also build their own brands, access a wider market, and escape the mindset of small-scale production. This is a concrete step to turn highland people into digital citizens,” the Vice Chairman of Lai Chau province excitedly said when talking about the daily changes in the highlands.

Connectivity infrastructure – the foundation of the journey of change

Behind the vibrant livestream sessions is another silent story – the story of infrastructure. To be able to broadcast live from remote villages, the first thing needed is a network signal. And that is the journey that Viettel and Lai Chau authorities have been patiently building for many years.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said: "In the field of digital transformation, the province and Viettel have signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate the strong implementation of digital infrastructure. Investing in and upgrading modern 5G infrastructure and high-speed Internet infrastructure to each commune and ward brings practical benefits to both the government and the people."

To date, 100% of commune centers and more than 98% of villages in Lai Chau have mobile and internet signals. Hundreds of broadcasting stations and thousands of kilometers of fiber optic cables have been stretched to border areas and extremely difficult areas. Local authorities have supported planning locations and ensured station security, while a team of telecommunications engineers have worked tirelessly to cross mountains and streams to bring the first fiber optic cables to the villages.

The Vice Chairman of Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee affirmed that the support from Viettel helps the province to strongly transform digitally.

Thanks to that, not only the people, but also the government apparatus benefit. From smart urban operation centers (IOC) to management and operation platforms in the Party bloc, tourism, education, health... - all activities are gradually being digitized. The seamless connection system between provinces, districts, and communes helps the administration process to be more effective and transparent.

It can be said that digital infrastructure has become the new "bloodline" of Lai Chau, where all connections - from data, information, to the flow of goods - are operated on a technology platform.

The story in Lai Chau is a clear demonstration of the power of the three-way cooperation model: Government – businesses – people. When technology is brought to the village, when people are instructed on how to do digital economy, and when logistics – communication – telecommunications infrastructure is synchronized, the value of agricultural products not only increases, but also the belief in change grows.

A representative of Viettel Lai Chau shared: “We consider technology as the key to shortening the gap between the lowlands and the mountains. The deeper we go, the more we see that people are thirsty for change. As long as there is an opportunity, they will grasp it very quickly.”

Nowadays, a familiar image in Lai Chau is not only terraced fields or highland markets, but also the scene of farmers standing in front of the phone, confidently introducing their products.

Viettel Post is expanding its “Agricultural Journey” model to 34 provinces, creating a nationwide digital connection network for Vietnamese agricultural products. This approach is reminiscent of the philosophy that Amazon initiated in the 1990s – empowering the smallest people with technology, helping them access a larger market.

If Amazon turns e-commerce into an “infrastructure for global sellers”, Viettel is creating a “digital infrastructure for the community”, where every farmer can reach opportunities without distance.

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/350-tan-nong-san-va-cach-kinh-doanh-khong-khoang-cach-cua-lai-chau-ar985799.html