Safe Vegetables in Phu Tho and Lang Son, Vietnam: chain analysis

In 2008, VECO-Vietnam launched its new program on Sustainable Agriculture for Chain Development (SACD). The intervention in the safe vegetable chain has already begun with 2 partners: The Economic Department mainly for production support, and VINASTAS, a consumers’ organization for its promotional activities and public awareness campaign.

In 2008, VECO also contracted the services of an expert consultant, Fresh Studio, to undertake a market survey and a consumer preference survey. VECO has as well identified its target groups in 2 safe vegetable production areas of its project sites – Tan Duc commune near Viet Tri City in Phu Tho Province with 2 farmers groups representing a total of 83 farmers. And Lang Son city in Lang Son Province with Na Chuong cooperative and its 40 members.

The need for a chain analysis became apparent in order to better understand the safe vegetable farmers, other actors in the chain such as collectors, wholesalers, restaurants and to identify constraints as well as intervention strategies. To this end, the analysis aims to bring forth:

• An in-debt understanding of what safe vegetables are, its standards, production techniques, supporting organizations, costs and certification process;
• A detailed overview of the 2 farmers’ groups in Viet Tri City as well as Na Chuong Cooperative in Lang Son City, their management, services offered to members and most of all, a simple production plan for 2009;
• Retailing and packaging options in marketing of safe vegetables;
• A general overview of some key potential buyers, their supply chain, pricing, payment method and overall demand in vegetable;
• Main chain constraints, potential strategies and key intervention activities to be undertaken by the chain development program.

The chain analysis report will not provide a comprehensive portrait of the vegetable chain in Viet Tri and Lang Son cities. But it is hoped that enough information will be provided to help understand how the chain works, its main actors as well as how VECO can support small scale farmers to strengthen their position in the chain.

>>> Download the full analysis here.