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Safe fruits, vegetables hard to find, complain retailers
Retailers and food processors say they need a regular supply of safe agricultural produce, especially fruits and vegetables, to meet a growing demand but find it difficult to locate reliable suppliers.
Though Vietnam is a major exporter of agricultural produce, local retailers find it hard to source supply, General Manager of Saigon Co.op’s Goods Supply Division, Bui Hanh Thu, said.
Her company, a leading retailer in the country, buys 70-80 tons of vegetables and fruits every day for its 35 Co.opMart outlets across the country, double the figure from a year ago, she said.
Nguyen Thi Minh Kieu, Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Nutrition Association, said local consumers now care much more about their health and prefer natural and organic food products.
Thu said her company, which opened a new chain of food stores called Co.opFood earlier this year, is concerned about the hygiene and safety of locally-grown vegetables and fruits.
As a result, it wants to forge alliances with farmers to make sure the products are safe for its customers, she said.
“But we have been able to find just a few suppliers meeting our requirements.”
Most farmers do not apply any safety standards and they plant vegetables and fruits in the traditional way, using pesticides and employing other unsafe pratices, she said.
Le Hai Trung, the Manager in charge of food and foodstuffs at French retailer Big C Vietnam, said vegetables and fruits are among the chain’s key products in Vietnam, accounting for 20 percent of its business.
It is seeking a reliable supply of safe vegetables and fruits and other food products to meet both local and international demand, he said.
Its parent company Casino Group runs 9,800 outlets in 11 countries and territories and wants to source more products from Vietnam, he said.
Retailers are not the only ones who find it hard to buy safe agricultural produce in Vietnam.
Nguyen Lam Vien, Chief Executive Officer of dried fruit maker Vinamit, said it is difficult for his company to find safe produce since many farmers care only about their own benefits and not health and safety issues.
Pesticides are used by many farmers who lack awareness of safety and even farming techniques, he said.
Although good agricultural practices have been introduced in some provinces, most farmers are unable to adopt new planting methods or comply with requirements, he said.
Nguyen Van Son, Head of the Dong Thap Province-based Truong Thinh Cooperative, said some fruit and vegetables farmers in the Mekong Delta have stopped spraying chemicals after realizing it would help them get more orders from retailers and food processors.
He said it is difficult for farmers to get orders from large clients if their produce cannot meet safety requirements.
Son said his 700-hectare cooperative, which grows mostly fruit, hopes to expand its market. Its current clients are mainly retailers in the north.
Minh Quang
thanhnien
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