Branding for agricultural products must accompany quality

Quality agricultural products will have good prices

The training workshop on exploitation skills, searching for market information and developing production and business plans according to requirements and market trends for each group of agricultural products was organized by the National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department in coordination with the Khanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and held in Nha Trang City on December 4. Mr. Le Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director of the NAFIQAD, gave a presentation introducing marketing and promoting the export of agricultural products.

According to Mr. Le Thanh Hoa, to exploit and search for market information, we need to build a strategy for each product and decide on the strategy for the products which markets we want to penetrate and develop. At the same time, we need to identify countries with promising markets for the product.

In addition to the domestic market, export markets play a very important role. These are issues that must be calculated for each country or market and we need to take into consideration the cultural and consumer factors of each country. Only after that can proceed with planning for product export.

Regarding building strategies for each product, Mr. Le Thanh Hoa said that first, it is necessary to determine whether the product is new or old. If the product is new, it must be clearly defined in terms of promotion and introduction to consumers.

Improving quality and flavour to suit needs will help consumers buy more products. Along with that, determining distribution channels is extremely important. In addition, when identifying a good trading partner, we must maintain the trading relationship and should not change to sell to others just because of a better price. Many businesses have paid the price when they chose a good selling price over a good partner.

"Therefore, partnerships are very important, we must opt for large and reputable partners", Mr Hoa expressed. "However, to choose a good partner, we must connect with the trade and diplomatic systems, consequently, determining whether these businesses are trustworthy enough or not".

Additionally, businesses must attract customers through competition, not on price but on quality. Many food businesses in the world of confectionery and spices survive for a long period because they focus on quality and creating flavours suitable for each country and territory.

“If you sell a product but immediately compare prices between different sources, it will certainly be very difficult to succeed. We have to think about quality first, then a good price will follow", Mr Le Thanh Hoa shared.

The brand building must go hand in hand with quality

One of the mistakes in our agricultural production is that we do not produce quality products whether the price is high or not. Because our production mindset assumes that even if we produce better products, the selling price will always be the same. Another wrong mindset is that when products follow GAP certifications but cannot be sold at a reasonable price, their production will not be persistent.

Therefore, Mr. Le Thanh Hoa said that we need to change our mindset because when we produce according to standards and regulations, product quality will be better. Even if the market won't accept the product today, they will in the future. Because of the developing trend, no one likes to purchase low-quality products. Therefore, if there is no compliance in production, the market will eliminate the product.

In addition to the above factors, it is very important to research each market and develop products that are suitable for each target group, as well as their nutritional needs. A business that wants to have long-term development should create new products, as well as levels of quality and safety.

To do that, businesses must pay attention to investment, especially research and development, and strengthen the capacity of food safety managers in the process of supervision, production and processing, so that products ensure safe quality. Simultaneously, businesses need to have appropriate product orientation depending on each customer group, each market, each country, and each region.

In addition, it is necessary to focus more on promotional activities and network building to distribute products. If we have identified the market, customers and long-term partners, then we will need to accompany them for sustainable development.

Recently, the National Assembly has also discussed about why the agricultural sector must build a brand for Vietnamese agricultural products. Regarding this issue, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said: A brand is something people remember.