Hanoi asks MARD's support for building agricultural chains

Hanoi has proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to support it in building linkage chains for specific fields and regions that are suitable to the nature of the capital city's agriculture.

According to Nguyen Manh Quyen, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, the city wants to receive the ministry’s technical support for the construction of large-scale wholesale markets at the regional level to control inputs and supply sources as well as controlling food safety.

“We expect the ministry to introduce us capable businesses to build large animal feed processing factories as well as modern slaughterhouses and meat processing plants,” Quyen said at a conference held in Hanoi recently. 

A farmer is working at a high-tech agricultural facility in Dong Anh District. Photo: Trong Tung

Quyen proposed the ministry support the construction of large-scale wholesale markets at the regional level to control inputs and supply sources as well as control food safety

He said the city expects the ministry to introduce businesses to cooperate in the construction of large animal feed processing factories as well as modern slaughterhouses and meat processing plants.

Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) agreed with the city that linkage chains should only be built in some key areas of livestock, farming, and aquaculture.

“Under the policy of the agricultural industry development, products for domestic consumption and export will incorporate codes storing information on safe planting and production areas,” he said.

He suggested that the MARD’s National Agro-Forestry and Fisheries Department and Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development need to identify the participants in the chain under the policy. 

In the 2021-25 period, the city sets a goal of supporting and building 50 linkage chains for key agricultural products associated with its concentrated specialized production areas.

All the subjects participating in the chains will be assisted in technical training, improving chain management skills, production techniques, and market development. The production and consumption of safe agricultural products and food will use QR codes for traceability and offer transparent information to consumers.

In 2020, Hanoi built 141 linkage chains with 70 stores, accounting for 8.8% of the country's total number of chains. About 786 chains in 21 provinces and cities have supplied agricultural products to the capital, with 670 stores. 

“This is a very encouraging result in the implementation of the Coordination Program for the supply of agricultural, forestry and fishery product chains for Hanoi in the 2015-20 period,” Nguyen Huy Dang, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said.

According to Dang, the construction and development of the chain created safe livestock and crop products with quality control at all stages, raising producers’ awareness on how to ensure the safety and responsibility of consumers. “It is one of the important stages in the city’s agricultural development,” he said.

Safe products, which are managed and produced according to a transparent process, have earned the trust of consumers in terms of product quality, thereby increasing value and expanding the market, Dang added. 

Currently, Hanoi is also promoting the development of the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) program to promote the consumption of OCOP products. Thereby, OCOP products and regional specialties are gradually gaining better recognition and appreciation of consumers for their quality, packaging design, and food safety and hygiene, according to the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.