Lam Son commune struggles to find a way to consume products

Desolate and deserted is the reality that has been happening in Doan Ket hamlet, Lam Son commune (Luong Son) - where the craft village of driftwood and ornamental stone carving was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee in early 2017. At its peak, there were over 40 driftwood carving establishments, but now only about 10 households are still operating. The sluggish consumption market and unsold products have affected people's income and lives.

Products at Anh Duc Fine Arts Furniture Factory in Doan Ket hamlet, Lam Son commune (Luong Son) are slow to sell, goods are unsold.

At the Anh Duc fine art furniture facility in Doan Ket hamlet, there are no customers. Products such as wooden tables and chairs, god of wealth statues, sculptures... are all covered with a thick layer of dust. Since the beginning of the year, the market has been sluggish, so the owner of the facility has temporarily stopped production to focus on selling remaining inventory. Currently, in the factory area of ​​about 200 square meters, products are being sold with prices ranging from 3 to 10 million VND, of which some items with high value and aesthetics are up to over 100 million VND.

Mr. Bach Van Duc, the owner of the facility, is concerned: About 3-4 years ago, the facility could earn an average of 70-80 million VND per month. Now, sales are very slow, especially since the beginning of the year, no products have been sold. The facility has been forced to temporarily stop production and cut staff to save costs.

The craft of making driftwood and ornamental stones has been present in Lam Son commune since 1994, mainly concentrated in Doan Ket hamlet. The industry has created products with diverse designs and types, imbued with national cultural identity. With locally available materials, it has contributed to promoting the shift in rural economic structure, creating jobs and increasing income for people. With the meticulousness and creativity of skilled workers, especially the investment in expanding production of many workshop owners, driftwood products here have affirmed their reputation in the market.

However, in the past 2 years, the products have had difficulty finding a way to sell their products. The main reason is determined to be competition from industrial products and imported goods with diverse designs and types, which have changed consumer trends. Along with that, local raw materials are increasingly scarce, causing production costs to increase. Meanwhile, product promotion and introduction have not been given due attention to attract consumers' attention. In particular, in the context of economic difficulties, driftwood products are not considered essential goods, so consumers hesitate when deciding to buy.

Not only the craft villages of driftwood and ornamental stone carving, but also the beekeeping profession, which was previously considered a key economic sector by Lam Son people, has now become unstable due to the decline in market demand. According to a survey at the Lam Son Honey Bee Cooperative, the number of core members is now only 5 people, a decrease of more than half compared to the time of its establishment. The total bee population currently maintains about 900 hives, while previously it was usually between 1,400 and 1,500 hives.

Mr. Le Dinh Khue, Director of Lam Son Honey Bee Cooperative, shared: "The cooperative's output in the period of 2022 - 2023 can reach 10 tons of honey. However, it is currently only about 1/3 of that time. Slow consumption leads to difficulties in repopulating the herd, and people's income has decreased. Therefore, members as well as associated households are no longer too interested in beekeeping for honey."

Driftwood, honey... are just a few of the main products of Lam Son commune that are facing difficulties in output. The prices of the items are lower or difficult to consume compared to other localities and neighboring areas. The main reason identified by the locality and production and business establishments is: When the Hoa Lac - Hoa Binh route was opened, the number of people and vehicles traveling on National Highway 6 through the commune decreased significantly. In addition, local products are slow to improve in design and are not diverse enough to attract consumers.

Comrade Bui Van Quy, Vice Chairman of Lam Son Commune People's Committee, said: The local Party Committee and government hope that the relevant agencies will pay attention to and support business households to cooperate and expand the product consumption market. Promote training and improve skills for local workers. Strengthen propaganda and product promotion, especially putting products on e-commerce platforms to expand distribution channels. This is a necessary direction to increase income, stabilize people's lives and promote local socio-economic development.

Duc Anh

Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/12/202055/Xa-Lam-Son-tran-tro-tim-huong-tieu-thu-san-pham.htm