Branding and traceability - sustainable direction of cooperatives

Au Viet Farm Cooperative (Phu Thai Commune) protects agricultural products with traceability stamps

Benefits of traceability stamps

Since the end of May, when the lychee fields are ripe, Ameii Vietnam Cooperative in Thanh Ha Commune (merged from Thanh Tan, Thanh Son Communes, Thanh Ha Town and part of Thanh Quang Commune of Thanh Ha District, Hai Duong Province) has been preparing to process, package and prepare lychees for export. Affixing traceability stamps to product boxes is essential.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Tien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ameii Vietnam Joint Stock Company (the unit that established Ameii Vietnam Cooperative) said: "We have to put traceability stamps on each box of lychee to confirm the clear origin. Making clean products but not being able to protect and maintain the trust of consumers, the efforts of farmers will be wasted."

Mr. Tien's concerns are not without basis. In the market, the situation of lychees from many other places being mixed and labeled as the famous Thanh Ha growing region often occurs. Many retailers take advantage of existing brands to raise prices, deceiving consumers. This not only makes consumers lose confidence but also causes serious damage to legitimate cooperatives.

Mr. Bui Van Duy, Director of Au Viet Farm Cooperative in Phu Thai Commune (merged from the communes: Kim Anh, Kim Luong, Kim Lien, Kim Xuyen, Phu Thai town of the old Kim Thanh district and part of Thuong Quan commune of the old Kinh Mon town) said that the application of traceability stamps brings many benefits to both consumers and businesses. For consumers, stamps help verify the origin and quality of products, avoid buying fake and counterfeit goods, and increase trust in products and brands. For businesses, stamps help build, promote brands, increase competitiveness and product management efficiency. Therefore, right from its establishment, the cooperative immediately built traceability stamps to make consumers feel more secure when using the unit's agricultural products.

Difficulty of not having a brand

Members of Tan Minh Duc Cooperative (Truong Tan commune) always provide the market with clean products of clear origin.

Currently, there are hundreds of cooperatives operating in the agricultural sector in the city, but not all of them apply traceability technology, electronic labels or registration for trademark protection. However, most agricultural products are still in a state of "each selling for himself", lacking synchronization and a long-term development strategy.

Mr. Hoang Anh Thu, Deputy Director of Tan Minh Duc Cooperative in Truong Tan Commune (merged from Pham Tran, Nhat Quang Communes, part of Thong Kenh, Doan Thuong, Quang Duc Communes of the old Gia Loc District and part of Lam Son, Pham Kha, Doan Tung Communes of Thanh Mien District, Hai Duong Province) affirmed that poor quality goods not only affects the reputation of a cooperative but also affects the entire industry. Without traceability stamps and proper branding, agricultural products, no matter how high quality, will find it difficult to enter the modern distribution system, especially for export. Thanks to traceability stamps, agricultural products of Tan Minh Duc Cooperative always maintain stable output, with prices 5-10% higher than those of cooperatives without traceability stamps.

In reality, retail businesses, supermarket chains, and foreign importers all require products to be clear about growing areas, farming standards, and packaging processes. Meanwhile, many small farmers or cooperatives have not met these criteria, and mainly still wholesale in the traditional way, completely dependent on traders.

The application of QR codes is not only an “identity card” for agricultural products but also opens up a direction for sustainable development. Thanks to traceability, cooperatives can improve quality control, from plant varieties, input materials to preservation and transportation. This helps reduce risks, increase productivity and enhance product value. According to a survey by reporters, the implementation of traceability and brand building still faces many difficulties, especially in terms of funding, technology level and awareness of some farmers.

In a volatile market where poor quality goods and goods of unknown origin are still rampant, especially agricultural products, building brands and tracing origins is becoming an inevitable path for cooperatives to affirm their value.

MINH NGUYEN

Source: https://baohaiphongplus.vn/xay-dung-thuong-hieu-va-truy-xuat-nguon-goc-huong-di-ben-vung-cua-hop-tac-xa-415644.html