Promoting the consumption of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products.

To promote the consumption of high-quality, safe agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products, the departments, agencies, and localities in the province annually organize and coordinate numerous activities to display, introduce, promote, and facilitate trade for characteristic and advantageous products. This not only contributes to businesses, cooperatives, and producers learning and innovating their production processes but also creates opportunities for exchange, connection, and expansion of markets for products, thereby creating advantages for the development of the agricultural sector.

An Cúc (Như Thanh) brand spring rolls are widely consumed in the market.

According to statistics, the province produces an average of 1.373 million tons of rice annually; 682,300 tons of vegetables and legumes; 350,000 tons of fruit; 957,700 tons of sugarcane; 180,700 tons of corn; 168,000 tons of pork; 37,300 tons of buffalo and beef; 68,000 tons of poultry meat; 310 million poultry eggs; 54,000 tons of cow's milk; 13,500 tons of shrimp; 18,000 tons of clams; 85,000 tons of offshore-caught seafood; and 1,500 tons of farmed marine aquatic products... However, most products are sold freely and without proper regulation in the market. Therefore, agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production in the province always carries many risks, especially in the product consumption stage. To overcome difficulties in consumption and enhance the value of agricultural products, in addition to selling them raw, many businesses, cooperatives, and individual producers and traders have proactively processed and "innovated" their products, which have been well-received by the market and have high consumption rates.

Mr. Le Huu An, owner of the An Cuc tube-shaped fermented pork sausage facility (Nhu Thanh district), is one of the producers who has "elevated" the local wild boar meat product. Mr. An said: "Wild boar meat, or 'piglet carried under the arm,' is well-known in mountainous districts. However, with the large number of households raising them and the large supply, consumption also faces difficulties. Taking advantage of the province's famous fermented pork sausage product, we have researched, processed, and innovated the product using wild boar meat and increased investment to improve product preservation, design, and traceability labels... We have been more creative in putting the sausage in bamboo tubes instead of the traditional banana leaf wrapping to preserve the flavor and moisture, preventing the sausage from drying out when stored in the refrigerator. Importantly, the sausage is not only high-quality but also visually appealing, making it suitable as a gift. Therefore, the product has been well-received by the market and consumers." Annual consumption is high, especially during holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year). Therefore, the facility has established partnerships to sell pork from free-range pigs raised according to safety standards to hundreds of households in Nhu Thanh, Nhu Xuan, and Nong Cong districts, with a production volume of approximately 8-10 tons of meat per month.

The development of branding, trade promotion, and consumption of An Cúc Như Thanh's tube-shaped spring rolls has also received attention from the People's Committee of Như Thanh district and relevant departments and agencies. The product has been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product and has participated in numerous fairs, exhibitions, and displays at provincial and international events; it has also collaborated with the provincial Post Office to list the product on e-commerce platforms such as Postmart and Voso... This has contributed to expanding the market for the product.

In addition to promoting and facilitating trade for products, the agricultural sector and related departments are also strengthening inspection, supervision, and guidance for agricultural production facilities in the province to complete production processes and ensure quality standards. This enables them to participate in sustainable production and consumption chains.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai, Head of the Agricultural Product Processing and Trade Department under the Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Quality Management, stated: The agricultural sector has supported production facilities in participating in training courses on production techniques, contract management, supply chain management, and market development. In addition, it has coordinated with relevant units and localities to support farmers with knowledge on production according to VietGAP, GlobalGAP standards, etc., aiming to produce products that meet food safety standards and monitor contract implementation, ensuring a harmonious balance of interests among all parties involved in the supply chain. As a result, since the beginning of the year, the agricultural sector has collected 24 samples of agricultural and aquatic products for quality monitoring, preventing unsafe products from circulating in the market. Of these, 22 samples met the requirements, while 2 out of 24 samples violated regulations. Through these inspections, product quality has been continuously improved and enhanced to ensure compliance with regulations. Since then, many products have been introduced into large-scale distribution systems, connecting and signing contracts with distribution units in provinces and cities across the country.

To facilitate the production, introduction, and consumption of agricultural products by businesses, cooperatives, and individuals, on January 4, 2024, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 77/QD-UBND approving the Project on Connecting Production, Processing, and Consumption to Enhance the Value of Key Agricultural Products in Thanh Hoa Province by 2030. Simultaneously, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development annually organizes a conference connecting supply and demand for safe agricultural and food products in Thanh Hoa Province, showcasing approximately 500 agricultural products and conducting dozens of training sessions and providing support for product consumption through e-commerce. As a result, to date, the province has over 100 businesses, 11 cooperatives, and nearly 150 establishments producing, processing, and trading agricultural products and OCOP products that have implemented digital transformation in their promotion and sales on e-commerce platforms such as tiki, lazada, postmart.vn, voso.vn, etc.

Text and photos: Le Thanh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thuc-day-tieu-thu-nong-lam-thuy-san-221476.htm