“A Bitter-Sweet Dilemma: The Tale of Vietnam’s Farmers”

On August 21, during the questioning session of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee, from Binh Phuoc province, delegate Dieu Huynh Sang raised an issue regarding the development of trademarks and brands for key agricultural products to increase their value and competitiveness, thereby contributing to export stability and higher incomes for farmers.

However, the development and protection of trademarks and brands for Vietnam’s key agricultural products have not been effective. Therefore, the delegate asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide solutions to ensure the value of cashew and durian brands and protect the interests and improve the lives of the people.

In response, Minister Le Minh Hoan shared his experience of visiting Bu Dang district in Binh Phuoc province and witnessing farmers cutting down cashew trees to plant durians. He expressed his concern about the farmers’ decision to move away from a crop that has been traditionally associated with the region.

The Minister affirmed the government’s consistent policy of opening up markets to facilitate the flow of agricultural products from the fields to consumers. He also mentioned the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to establish protocols with other countries for the consumption of agricultural products, in addition to domestic consumption.

Standardization of all agricultural product quality standards is a significant challenge. The Minister emphasized that we cannot rely solely on the market for consumption if our products do not meet market standards. Therefore, attention should be given to the issue of assigning codes to growing and farming areas, which is crucial for Vietnam’s agriculture.

Additionally, Minister Le Minh Hoan stated that we must adapt to market rules and provide alternative economic tools without restricting farmers. He mentioned a successful model in Binh Phuoc where farmers grew red lingzhi mushrooms under cashew trees, creating a multi-layered value within the cashew gardens, with the mushrooms providing significant economic benefits.

The Minister also acknowledged the diverse processing capabilities of the Young Entrepreneurs Association in Binh Phuoc and suggested promoting OCOP products related to cashews. He emphasized the need to build a sharing chain and connect cashew growers with processing enterprises.

In the future, Binh Phuoc will restructure the durian industry. The Minister emphasized the importance of forming a durian industry association to create linkages between enterprises, warehouses, and durian farmers to protect the brand and trademark. He also mentioned a recently signed second agreement on processed durian products, such as durian rice, durian seeds, and frozen durian, opening up the Chinese market for Vietnamese durian.

“To make durian a national product, we must have a national institution to regulate common policies for durian, farmers, enterprises, science and technology, and infrastructure,” Minister Le Minh Hoan added. He acknowledged that Vietnam is a late entrant to the Chinese market compared to Thailand and Malaysia, and emphasized the need to catch up and establish a strong presence in the durian industry.