State takes the lead in organic food farming

Vegetables from rural areas are sold in Metro Supermarket in Ha Noi's Hoang Mai District. To cash in on the demand for organic vegetables, the Government has set up a company to grow organic fruit and vegetables in Dan Phuong District.—VNA/VNS Photo Bui Tuong

HA NOI — To cash in on the demand for organic vegetables, the Government has set up a company to grow 6,000 tonnes of organic vegetables and fruits in Ha Noi's rural Dan Phuong District.

The plan is to grow enough organic vegetables and fruits in the district's three communes to supply northern and national markets – and create jobs and incomes for local people.

Project owner, Ha Noi Investment and Rural Development Co Ltd, will build rural roads, water pumping stations and drainage systems, preparation sheds and other facilities.

Meanwhile, a programme to give the vegetables an organic label that makes them recognisable in the marketplace is underway in Ha Noi.

To pilot the scheme, Nguyen Hong Anh, deputy head of Ha Noi's Plant Protection Department, said the department was using 250ha in Van Duc Commune in Gia Lam District beside the Red River opposite Ha Noi City.

Hong Anh said about 1,000 families in the commune were taking part in the programme.

He added that the commune already produced about 40-45 tonnes of organic vegetables a day, of which 70-75 per cent were labelled.

The labelled organic products have been widely sold in Ha Noi and other places including northern Hung Yen, Nam Dinh and Quang Ninh provinces as well as central Da Nang City.

Hong Anh said labelled organic vegetables were sold more quickly as consumers were more convinced of their quality.

The price of vegetables produced in Van Duc Commune was higher than other products of the same types in the market by VND500-1,000 per kilogramme, he added.

The programme has also been expanded to 50ha in each of two other communes, namely Thanh Tri District's Duyen Ha Commune and Phuc Tho District's Thanh Da Commune.

Hong Anh said the sales of organic vegetables would be promoted with the help of an online sales floor.

The website will update the price list of green products and take orders from consumers.

This way, consumers may order products via the website and will bear only a delivery charge rather than paying money to retailers.

Hong Anh added that by 2014, labelling for organic vegetables would be made compulsory.

Tran Cong Thang, head of the Strategic Policy Section under the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture, said the current supply met only 14 per cent of Hanoian's demand for organic vegetables.

The popularity of organic foods has grown because of public concerns about the unsafe quality of green products, especially unquarantined imports. — VNS