Bringing safe agricultural products from Lam Dong to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption

On July 26, in Lam Dong province, the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province to organize a conference to review the coordination of management and connection of consumption of safe agricultural products and food between Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong province.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phuc, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province, in recent times, the coordination of management and control of safe food has always been of interest to the leaders of the two localities with many events organized, such as cooperation in controlling the quality of goods in Ho Chi Minh City in Da Lat City (formerly); conferences, "Responsible Green Tick" programs; signing cooperation agreements for the purpose of controlling the quality of agricultural products from Lam Dong and other provinces to Ho Chi Minh City for consumption.

Cooperatives and cooperative groups in Lam Dong introduce agricultural products on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: DOAN KIEN

In 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety took 332 samples of vegetables and fruits originating from Lam Dong province to test for pesticide residues. The test results showed that 331/332 samples (0.997%) were safe for pesticide residues and 01/332 samples (0.003%) were found to have pesticide residues exceeding the prescribed level.

Facilities with product samples violating regulations are informed by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province to coordinate food safety control.

“Up to now, there are more than 100 production and processing facilities of all kinds of vegetables and fruits in Lam Dong province supplying supermarket systems and wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety has also certified 19 safe food chains in Lam Dong province, supplying about 19,888 tons of vegetables and fruits per year, and about 8,869 tons of pork per year to the Ho Chi Minh City market,” Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phuc informed.

Units introducing OCOP products at the conference. Photo: DOAN KIEN

Meanwhile, Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City, said that in the near future, the Project on building a pilot model for food management according to the "Safe Food Chain" between Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong province will continue to be implemented. She requested the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province to guide agricultural production establishments to periodically report on output and types consumed in Ho Chi Minh City and the work of self-inspection and supervision of production processes and quality of the establishments.

Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City, spoke at the conference. Photo: DOAN KIEN

"The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Lam Dong province is implementing food safety monitoring for products produced in Lam Dong province. In the opposite direction, the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City is implementing the sample collection plan of Lam Dong province to monitor food safety of agricultural supply chains consumed at supermarkets, wholesale markets, etc. in Ho Chi Minh City," said Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan.

Lam Dong province's agricultural sector currently cultivates about 1 million hectares, of which the high-tech agricultural production area is about 107,306 hectares, focusing on developing products with competitive advantages such as coffee, tea, vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, mulberry... Lam Dong has 960 export growing area codes with a total area of 39,363.3 hectares and 33 packaging facility codes for the province's key agricultural products (such as durian, dragon fruit, grapefruit, passion fruit...) fully meeting the requirements of export markets such as Australia, New Zealand, China, the United States, the EU, Switzerland, Korea and Japan.

DOAN KIEN - THANH SON

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dua-nong-san-an-toan-tu-lam-dong-ve-tphcm-tieu-thu-post805541.html