Gone are the days of 'two rows of vegetables, two pigsties', if you don't clean, who will buy?

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien said that agricultural economy requires planning and building growing areas to meet market and consumer demands; the products must be green and clean.

Floor fees are too high, shipping cost is double the order value

At the "10th National Farmers' Forum 2025: Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union and Minister of Industry and Trade listen to farmers' voices" held on October 1, Mr. Luong Quoc Doan - Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union, said that agricultural, forestry and fishery exports are set to reach 70 billion USD in 2025 and 100 billion USD by 2030.

However, to achieve this goal, Vietnam will have to face many difficulties in the context of increasingly fierce trade competition, especially the US imposing reciprocal tariffs on many countries, including Vietnam.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien stated that if production is the "root", then the market and trade are the "extended arms" to bring Vietnamese agricultural products further, sell them at higher value, and more sustainably.

“Today, we listen to any recommendations, especially from farmers and businesses, and are ready to discuss and resolve them together,” the Minister affirmed.

Farmers say the cost of putting their products on e-commerce platforms is too high, with shipping fees sometimes double the value of the order. Photo: KN

During the discussion, a series of issues on applying digital technology in market connection were also raised. Among them, there is a trend of local leaders and influential people participating in livestreaming to support farmers in selling, but it is necessary to consider the sustainability of this model.

Farmers hope that the Ministry of Industry and Trade will have solutions to bring OCOP products to the international level and join e-commerce platforms.

According to Ms. Le Hoang Oanh, Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, bringing products to the world is not just about promoting on the floor or opening a booth, but quality is the deciding factor. If we want to export, we must research what foreign markets need to meet them.

If the quality is not guaranteed, it will be very difficult to export. She cited that when organizing a livestream to sell honey in Lai Chau, only one business met the standards.

Every year, the Trade Promotion Agency organizes supply and demand promotion to approach FDI enterprises or domestic retailers to help people consume OCOP products. Tens of thousands of farmers have sold their products on the livestream platform.

However, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien noted that people are focusing too much on exports and neglecting the domestic market. We have 100 million people, and the demand for agricultural products is also very high.

“On October 24, we will organize an international fair, inviting people to bring their products to participate,” said the Minister. “There will be many foreign partners here. If the products are of guaranteed quality, have traceable origins, are in large quantities, and have clear packaging and labels, people will have the opportunity to consume them quickly and conveniently.”

Nowadays, agricultural economics requires planning and building growing areas to meet the demands of the market and consumers; the products must be green and clean. The Minister emphasized that the time of “vegetables in two rows, pigs in two pens” is over; if the products are not cleaned, they cannot be sold to anyone.

Ms. Chao Thi Yen - Goong Cooperative (Lao Cai), commented that the fees on e-commerce platforms are too high, the transportation costs are also high, even double the value of the goods, while the profit of agricultural products is very low. If selling at low prices, there will be losses, and if increasing prices, there will be a loss of competitive advantage.

Responding to this issue, Ms. Oanh said that it is difficult for the State to directly intervene in market mechanism factors. However, the Minister has assigned the Department of E-commerce to work with major platforms to reach agreements and support commitments. On the farmers' side, it is necessary to improve quality, expand scale, and at the same time collect goods and combine transportation to reduce logistics costs.

The Minister emphasized that if agricultural products are not "clean", they cannot be sold. Photo: Dan Viet

Looking for opportunities in Vietnam for 7 years but failed

Agricultural expert Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuc commented that our logistics costs are very high because our production infrastructure is still fragmented.

She cited that in Thailand, the Phuket market requires 51% of products for sale to be OTOP, thus becoming a bustling shopping destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. Based on this reality, she recommended that the Ministry of Industry and Trade study and build a similar market model in Vietnam, helping farmers consume OCOP products more effectively.

We need to build a high-tech agricultural industrial cluster soon. “A Korean partner once said that he had been looking for an opportunity to build an agricultural industrial cluster in Vietnam for 7 years but failed, and finally had to move to China because this country has good infrastructure and many policies to support businesses,” she said.

From the perspective of the industry and trade sector, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized the need to improve production capacity towards high quality and sustainability; proactively apply science and technology in production, processing and consumption. He encouraged private enterprises and cooperatives to invest in logistics centers, cold storage, preservation systems and post-harvest processing lines to reduce loss and increase added value for agricultural products.

It is necessary to promote the consumption of agricultural products, especially the domestic market, through direct connection of production areas with large urban areas, supermarket chains and wholesale markets. At the same time, it is necessary to increase market opening, take advantage of FTAs ​​and bilateral agreements so that Vietnamese agricultural products can access many new markets, especially the high-end segment.

In building and promoting brands, quality, food safety and green certification must be the foundation. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage businesses to innovate, promote green transformation and circular economy in agriculture, the Minister noted.

Prime Minister: Agriculture must accelerate and make a breakthrough, striving to export 70 billion USD . In 2024, the agricultural sector affirmed the spirit of "turning nothing into something, turning difficult into easy, turning impossible into possible". In 2025, the Prime Minister requested the sector to accelerate and make a breakthrough, striving to export 70 billion USD.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/qua-thoi-rau-2-luong-lon-2-chuong-khong-lam-sach-thi-ai-mua-2448078.html