With the goal of controlling the quality of agricultural products, stabilizing the output of agricultural products, and meeting consumers' demand for clean food, localities in the province have actively built and formed safe agricultural product supply chains (SAV). However, due to strict production processes, large investment capital, unstable output, and unsynchronized quality supervision, the process of building a SAV chain is facing many difficulties.

Farmers of Vinh Tien commune (Vinh Loc) participate in the safe vegetable supply chain.

In Vinh Loc district, to form NSAT supply chains, the district has created conditions and encouraged communes, towns and businesses in the area to promote investment in high-tech agricultural production, creating safe products. Accordingly, the district has organized training courses on production techniques for people, innovated crop varieties, selected key products suitable for the market to expand the area such as rice, vegetables, tubers, fruits, meat... produced according to VietGAP standards; developed livestock farming in the direction of concentrated farms, applying high technology according to the value chain. The district also coordinated with relevant units to guide businesses and individuals in using recording forms, storing records, supporting control, monitoring product quality and affixing traceability stamps.

At the safe vegetable production chain in Vinh Tien commune, Ms. Phan Thi Dung said: When participating in the NSAT supply chain, we were instructed by agricultural officers on techniques according to the process of ensuring food safety, such as: land preparation, use of biological products, fertilization, harvesting, preliminary processing of products... At the same time, we prepared conditions for production such as greenhouses, land, irrigation water, energy-saving irrigation systems... However, when participating in the NSAT supply chain, I initially encountered many difficulties due to the stages requiring production according to strict processes from production, preliminary processing, consumption... because if just one "link" is broken, the chain cannot be formed. Besides, investing in high-tech agricultural production requires large investment capital, so my family is still hesitant, the volume and variety of products are still limited, not meeting the requirements of businesses.

It is known that currently, the whole Vinh Loc district has formed 6 NSAT vegetable and rice supply chains in the communes of Vinh Tien, Vinh Phuc, Vinh Hoa, Ninh Khang, Vinh Yen. In the face of the limited number of NSAT supply chains, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vinh Loc district Trinh Viet Cuong said: The construction of NSAT supply chains in the district still faces many difficulties because the scale of agricultural production in communes and towns is still fragmented and small. In addition, the production, preliminary processing and preservation processes are mainly based on traditional methods, habitual cultivation, so compliance with uniform technical processes is still difficult, while market demand requires products to be of high quality, not only in terms of food hygiene and safety but also ensuring environmental protection. Compared to the investment capital to produce according to VietGAP standards, packaging costs, labels... the selling price of the products is not as expected by the producers, while consumers find it difficult to distinguish between products in and out of the chain.

Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ha Trung district, Nguyen Van Thinh, said: The number of NSAT supply chains is currently limited because many people are still "strange" to the concept of a chain, and the implementation of production links between people and businesses through contracts is not yet tight. For agricultural products, especially vegetables and fruits, the preservation stage is very important, but currently the preliminary processing and preservation process is mainly done by traditional methods, and has not been focused on investment, so post-harvest losses still account for a high percentage. Another reality is that most agricultural products are currently highly seasonal, so the volume and variety of agricultural products are not enough and do not meet consumption requirements.

Currently, the province has about 1,050 NSAT supply chains, the rate of consumer food supplied through the chains is over 55%. In reality, this is a difficulty in most localities in the province, so the number of chains is still limited. Therefore, in the coming time, localities need solutions to change production methods, from small and retail to large scale, diversify products, expand the scope of supply according to the chain to collective kitchens, schools, hotels, restaurants, etc. In addition, localities also need to plan concentrated safe production areas, build infrastructure for production areas. At the same time, monitor product quality and label products that have been controlled according to the chain, print packaging to identify products, promote and trace the origin of products and participate in trade fairs to introduce products.

Article and photos: Le Ngoc