Longform | Mountainous agricultural products conquer lowland consumers | Industry and Trade Newspaper

From Binh Lieu vermicelli to Ha Giang Shan Tuyet tea, Cao Bang honey… mountainous agricultural products are gradually conquering urban consumers.

From Binh Lieu vermicelli to Ha Giang Shan Tuyet tea, Cao Bang honey… mountainous agricultural products have gradually conquered urban consumers thanks to effective use of the distribution system.

Never before have agricultural products from ethnic minorities and mountainous areas been so present on supermarket shelves and e-commerce platforms. From specialties that seem to only be available in highland markets such as wild honey, Shan Tuyet tea, Binh Lieu vermicelli, etc., urban consumers can now easily find them in modern retail chains such as Co.opmart, Bach Hoa Xanh, WinMart, or clean food stores such as Bac Tom, Soi Bien, etc.

But behind the products that are “on the streets” is a journey that is not simple. It is the journey of the mountain people relearning how to dry tea, package vermicelli, design labels and comply with quality standards. It is also the story of modern distribution systems, when they are not only sellers, but also become companions, pioneers and sometimes… teach how to grow agricultural products.

Previously, Cao Bang wild honey was mainly brought to the market by local people to sell in rudimentary plastic bottles, without brand, without traceability, without packaging. But now, Cao Bang province has two honey products that meet the 3-star OCOP standard, which are Doan Linh honey, in Minh Tam commune, Nguyen Binh district and Hoang Tung honey, in Hoang Tung commune, Hoa An district. This is considered an important initial step in implementing the task of building and improving the quality of the brand and reputation of local honey products, thereby continuing to expand the market. This transformation is the result of cooperation from many sides. Producers proactively improve quality, while receiving support from modern retail systems in terms of packaging, testing, packaging, and distribution channels.

It is not just a story about honey, but also a story about a “lowland mindset” that is gradually permeating the way of farming in the highlands.

One of the specialties imbued with the spirit of the mountains is Ha Giang ancient Shan Tuyet tea - a type of tea that grows at an altitude of over 1,200 meters, with roots covered in white snow, young leaves picked by hand in the early morning, and roasted by hand during the day. Shan Tuyet used to be a type of tea that was only available in the homes of the Dao and Mong people. But now, those tea buds have "gone to the streets" - into clean food stores at high prices, customers seek to buy them not only because of the sweet and astringent taste, but also because of the cultural story behind each tea bud.

Similarly, Binh Lieu vermicelli (Quang Ninh) - a product made from arrowroot and sweet spring water - was once overshadowed by its simple packaging and unclear origin. However, when repackaged, fully traceable, and OCOP certified, Binh Lieu vermicelli is now available in supermarkets, becoming a favorite gift for Hanoians .

What these products have in common is: the indigenous culture remains intact, but is upgraded to be compatible with modern standards. The important thing is to be "chosen to entrust" with the right distribution system.

In the story of “overcoming the slope” of mountainous agricultural products, modern distribution systems have played a greater role than a mere buyer and seller. They proactively go to the raw material areas, sign long-term contracts, support design consultation, quality testing, and even organize direct training for farmers and cooperatives.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Dung - Director of Coop Mart Ha Dong Supermarket shared that Co.opmart is an example. Instead of just importing and displaying goods, this system has built programs: "OCOP Goods Week", "Vietnamese Goods to the Countryside", "Highland Goods Festival"... to help agricultural products not only be sold but also be present, told stories, and spread their values.

Co.opmart Hanoi currently has more than 1,000 OCOP products, regional specialties from businesses and cooperatives nationwide. Among them, typical mountainous products, regional culture such as: dong vermicelli, coffee, cocoa, tea... are loved by customers.

In addition to offering stable prices, Co.opmart Hanoi also has a dedicated display area for products so that consumers can easily find them. It can be seen that this is a priority for local goods. The supermarket always creates favorable conditions for local products from all over the country to reach consumers widely.

Bac Tom is a clean food chain first established in Hanoi in 2009, with the criteria of clean, natural food. Realizing the great potential of the capital's people for clean food from mountainous areas and ethnic minorities, up to now, regional specialties in general and specialties in the Northern mountainous areas or islands have become key strategic products and account for 60 - 70% of Bac Tom's sales revenue.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dan - Assistant Director of Bac Tom Clean Food Store Chain said that when doing business with agricultural products and mountain specialties, there will be many difficulties, but this becomes a very good advantage for Bac Tom. Because these are all very delicious products, with unique cultural characteristics of the regions, attracting consumers in the capital in general and visitors from all over the world in particular and has become a strength of Bac Tom.

“The strength of these products is the quality and flavor that are very typical of the region, closely associated with the local cultural identity. That is very favorable for Uncle Tom to consume the products,” said Ms. Nguyen Thi Dan.

WinMart and WinMart+ position highland agricultural products in the high-end segment, putting them in the “green food – clean origin” group, displaying them separately, and communicating carefully about the growing area. Thanks to that, consumers not only eat them but also understand, remember and support them.

WinCommerce - the investor of the Winmart and Winmart + systems, aims to reach 4,500 stores by the end of 2025, equivalent to opening an average of about 2 new stores per day, of which 1,900 stores are opened in rural areas. With a rate of opening nearly 50 new WinMart + rural stores per month, the company's goal of expanding its scale in rural areas is within reach.

In addition, Masan's retail chain will pilot the WiN+ model, cooperating with traditional grocery stores to provide essential products and promotions. The WiN+ model completes WCM's omnichannel retail strategy, serving rural and hamlet areas that lack modern retail systems. This model helps increase market share, fill gaps in the market, and support WCM in realizing its goal of doubling its market share in the $50 billion grocery market in Vietnam by 2029. The rural distribution system will be an extremely solid bridge for rural products to urban areas, including products from mountainous localities.

Bach Hoa Xanh follows the model of “building a chain with farmers”: going down to the growing areas, signing a consumption commitment from the beginning of the season. Products such as cat cabbage, native mushrooms, smoked meat, etc. have been brought back to test in the Southern market, receiving very positive feedback.

Not only physical stores, e-commerce is becoming the “biggest market” for mountainous agricultural products. Highland stalls on Shopee, Sendo, nongsan.buudien.vn... help cooperatives in Mu Cang Chai, Bac Me, Dak Glei... sell directly to consumers in Da Nang, Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City.

Instead of being transported to the district, people now livestream from their fields, telling stories about tea trees, honey drops, and turmeric. There is no longer a distance in space, only a distance in thinking. And that distance is being shortened rapidly.

As an e-commerce platform specializing in agricultural products, Mr. Pham Quyet Tien - Director of the Executive Board of the Agricultural Products Platform (nongsan.buudien.vn) - Vietnam Post Corporation (Vietnam Post) shared that in the recent past, the e-commerce platform of Vietnam Post has supported many large campaigns related to agricultural products such as Bac Giang lychee, Son La plum, Cao Phong orange in Hoa Binh, Ninh Thuan melon... Based on that initial success, Vietnam Post Corporation has reshaped, focusing deeply on the agricultural sector and promoting the sale of agricultural products.

Initially, when following this direction, in general, Vietnam Post has had an advantage because consumers really like Vietnamese agricultural products, especially mountain specialties.

In addition, the postal agricultural products platform is also piloting the development of direct sales store models. Currently, 3 locations are being built in Hanoi: Giang Vo post office, Tay Son post office and Ha Dong post office. After the pilot period, it will be expanded to other localities, taking full advantage of the location of the post office, which is usually in a good location, making it easier to communicate, promote, and reach customers directly. This is also an O2O sales solution (Online to Offline and vice versa) to make it easier for customers to access real products.

Despite many success stories, consuming agricultural products from mountainous areas is still not easy. Barriers remain weak logistics, small-scale, fragmented production, and lack of unified standards between localities. Low output and uneven quality are also major barriers.

Therefore, according to experts, to have a sustainable connection chain between the mountainous and lowland regions, three factors are needed: trust between producers - distributors - consumers; the real capacity of cooperatives; and the coordinating role of the government to unify standards, support logistics, and promote trade.

A bottle of honey, a package of vermicelli, a tea bud is not just food. It is a story of culture, livelihood and aspiration. When the modern distribution system not only sells, but also guides, supports and respects identity, mountain agricultural products are not only consumed but also appreciated and elevated.

The combination of “the quintessence of the great forest” and “the hand of the market” is a feasible way for highland products to not only be present in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang… but also reach out to the world market.

Phuong Lan

Graphics: Ngoc Lan

Bao Ngoc

Source: https://congthuong.vn/longform-nong-san-mien-nui-chinh-phuc-nguoi-tieu-dung-mien-xuoi-389450.html