Marketing and Development of Ecological Agricultural Products
For Indigenous Peoples
Output for ecological agricultural products from localities is a burning problem for farmers in general as well as indigenous people in particular. Farmers are people who directly grow and cultivate ecological agricultural products, organic agriculture... Now they desire better developed products, more valuable in the market and directly bring their products to consumers. Sharing the same problem, Caritas Dalat has accompanied a number of places in Lam Dong province with the goal of "developing products when raw materials are available, together orienting and choosing a suitable community business model to build a product marketing strategy".
The training program Slep 2 forum (Sanpham learning exchange platform) hosted by Caritas Dalat took place for 4 days from March 12 to 15, 2021 at the headquarters of Caritas Vietnam Social Security Committee - 319 National Highway 13, Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City with the theme "Marketing and development of ecological agricultural products".
Co-organized by NTFP Vietnam (belonging to the Southern Institute of Ecology), and BSA (business research and business support center) is the teaching unit.
On the student side, there were nearly 40 outstanding participants representing communities with mentioned products such as Iem Goh Churu vegetable group - Tu Tra commune, Don Duong district; Ohmi Koho coffee group at Dinh Trang Hoa - Di Linh; Da Nhar forest food group in Da Teh with products of wild vine tea and green tea; grain group at Da Tong; Community group in Dung K'no with wild honey products and brocade fabrics; Community groups in the NTFP network with wild Ganoderma mushroom products, orangutans seeds; Caritas Phan Thiet group with dried bamboo shoots, beans, and artichoke jam. There are also groups with ideas to make ecological products such as Loc Tan community group, Da Nhinh youth group, Binh Thuan community group, Raglai - Ninh Thuan community group.
After the warm-up, acquaintance and opening moments, Ms. Maria Goretti Dinh Thi Hong Phuc - Deputy Director of Caritas Dalat presented: "This program is organized based on the needs of people. In a 2-year series of forums for community groups that have products or are product-oriented, now is the time for people to want to know how to market, introduce their products and further develop their products. For that reason, Caritas Dalat organized a training session. This is for SLEP communities, along with the connection with the NTFP network, so we have expanded the training to many members from other provinces and cities to attend. We hope that after the training session, everyone here will achieve their expectations, know how to market and develop their own ecological products and learn more from other communities."
On the morning of March 12 at the headquarters of the BXH Committee - Caritas Vietnam, we were excited in the first lesson with the topic "product development when raw materials are available" led by expert Dam Sao Mai. Ms. Mai impressed the class when she said: "Right from the name, each person has a very unique, bold national identity of the Central Highlands mountains." We listened to the lecturers and were encouraged to develop our own ideas, interests, passions and strengths before thinking about our products. Furthermore, we can freely write down our dreams and listen to the dreams of others without knowing who the writer is? Therefore, it makes us even more curious about the course and also motivates us to try to develop in the journey of turning our dreams into reality.
The next morning, we had a field trip to the Happi Vegi organic vegetable models in Tan Binh district and the Can Gio nipa honey model and the Quang Thanh pennywort powder model in Cu Chi - Ho Chi Minh City. Here we met the garden owner who was very nice, friendly and enthusiastic about sharing information about organic farming, their efforts, advantages and disadvantages of businesses in the startup process..., and many other issues of interest in organic farming. In addition, we have the opportunity to share our current organic practices for teachers to listen to and give us feedback so we can improve.
On the third day, our whole group continued to move to visit the "decent green market" at 135A Pasteur, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. With the guidance of Ms. Vu Kim Anh, Deputy Director of BSA Center, we confidently exploited information on many items in the market. Featured in the market are local products from a group that has succeeded in a start-up program and a group that is initiating towards clean, safe and natural food production. What I like most about this market is that people use self-destructing plastic bags. The products here mostly have designs, logos, brands, beautiful and eye-catching layouts, and professional marketing. I secretly thought that perhaps our community's own products will also be present in the market at some point in the near future.
On the same afternoon, we continued the theoretical lesson with the topic "Orientation and selection of a suitable community business model". Through the lesson, Mr. Ngo Dinh Dung helped us better understand how to orient a business model to suit the local potential, how to increase product value through uses, and how to design packaging to look more attractive. Especially after the class, seeds brought from the communities are displayed, prayed over, exchanged and shared with each other. Hopefully the seeds will continue to proliferate and develop. Each of you here can choose the seeds you like to plant at home and in the community.
On the last day, we met Teacher Nguyen Dong Trieu, a teacher full of youthful energy and enthusiasm with the topic "building product marketing strategies". Our class is very passionate and full of laughter about practical problems without being constrained by the material. We freely express opinions, problems, questions and answers, product stories. We were completely captivated by his teaching style, the issues he raised, and our very indigenous stories and culture incorporated into the product.
At the end of the 4-day learning journey, with the presence of the Father Director of Caritas Vietnam, the participating groups shared words of thanks, handshakes, and intimate hugs that left many emotions in each person's heart. We hope that the plans and wishes we have put forth will be implemented to make the community's products more valuable. That is also the wish of each individual as well as community groups and will be shared with each other in the next forum scheduled to take place in September 2021 with the theme "Community Enterprise".
Writer
Ka Huyen
