‘Clean agricultural products in HCM city’: Building a green - clean - sustainable value chain

Speaking at the seminar “Production and consumption of clean agricultural products in HCMC” on November 11, Mr. Truong Thanh Quang, Vice Chairman of the HCMC Farmers’ Association, emphasized that food safety is not only directly related to people’s health but is also a key factor influencing the city’s socio-economic development.

Nearly 10,000 hectares of specialized cultivation

With a population of more than 14 million after administrative expansion, HCMC consumes up to 10,000 tons of food daily. However, 70% of vegetables and 60% of meats must be imported from neighboring provinces. Therefore, securing a clean and traceable food supply is considered a long-term strategic task.

According to Mr. Quang, as agricultural land continues to shrink, the city is shifting toward modern urban agriculture that applies high technology and focuses on high-value products such as safe vegetables, ornamental flowers, dairy cattle and aquaculture. Currently, the city has nearly 10,000 hectares of specialized cultivation areas with an estimated annual output of 400,000 tons.

Each day, the city supplies over 700 tons of livestock meat, 200 tons of poultry meat, and 2 million eggs to the market, though the rate of self-sufficiency, especially in fresh foods, still needs to increase.

Mr. Quang noted that the city currently maintains more than 1,500 clean, organic, VietGAP, GlobalGAP and OCOP production models.

In addition, the Association actively connects production with consumption, helping farmers bring their products into supermarket and convenience store systems. Examples include Tan My Cooperative, which supplies over 1,000 tons of pomelos annually to the Co.opmart system; Kim Long Cooperative, which sells 2,500 tons of melons per year through retail channels; and Tuan Ngoc Cooperative, which provides over 200 tons of hydroponic vegetables each year.

Many farmers have achieved success and even exported their products abroad: Mr. Nguyen Hong Quyet exports more than 40 tons of melons per month to Singapore and 50 tons per month to Japan; Mr. Le Minh Sang exports 300 tons of green-skin pomelos annually to the Netherlands; Mr. Nguyen Hoang Trong Hieu exports fresh guava to the Middle East; Ms. Pham Thi Thao signed a contract to export 36 tons of honey to South Korea in November 2025.

Need for comprehensive and effective support

However, clean agriculture in HCMC remains fragmented and small-scale, with less than 20% of cultivated areas meeting VietGAP or GlobalGAP standards. High production costs and a market that fails to distinguish between clean and conventional products discourage long-term investment by farmers.

Challenges also stem from limited land, capital, technology, and distribution infrastructure, while a multi-layered logistics system increases costs and reduces profits. Additionally, some farmers still overuse chemicals for short-term gains, undermining the city's overall reputation for clean agricultural products.

At the seminar, representatives of cooperatives, enterprises, and farmers proposed that state agencies provide coordinated, proactive support for the development of clean, high-tech agriculture. Specifically, they called for improved land policies to ensure stable production areas and appropriate credit mechanisms with sufficient capital for high-tech farming on limited land.

They also requested assistance with export documentation, quality inspection, and VietGAP and organic certifications to expand domestic and international markets, while reducing costs for cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Authorities were urged to strengthen inspection and coordination among localities to ensure the quality of agricultural inputs, support sustainable supply-chain linkages, standardize output channels and traceability systems, and enhance communication, branding, and centralized retail outlets in supermarket chains, helping consumers identify and trust clean products.

Modern and ecological urban agriculture

Mr. Vo Thanh Giau, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that amid rapid urbanization and expanded administrative boundaries, the city’s agriculture sector is shifting strongly toward a modern, ecological, high-tech, and sustainable urban model.

Building clean and safe agricultural production zones not only ensures food security but also improves quality of life and promotes a multi-value agricultural economy. The overarching goal is to develop a multifunctional, multi-value agricultural sector that produces high-quality, safe and sustainable products.

HCMC is transitioning from agricultural production to agricultural economy, focusing on key products through high-tech, digital, organic and circular farming combined with educational tourism.

The city’s agriculture will focus on improving production quality: mechanization, high technology, expansion of organic, circular, and smart agriculture; support for VietGAP, organic and HACCP certification for cooperatives and producer groups. 

Science, technology, and digital transformation: applying advanced processes, developing new varieties, creating an integrated agricultural database, and implementing QR code/blockchain traceability linked to the national portal.

Developing cooperative economy: enhancing cooperative efficiency, increasing high-tech cooperatives, supporting production–consumption linkages between farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises to form value chains.

Financial and market support: investment incentive policies, trade promotion, supply–demand connection, introducing OCOP products into supermarkets and stores; training young skilled workers for cooperatives with 1.5× regional minimum wage support.

Irrigation and climate adaptation infrastructure: ensuring 100% of cultivated areas receive irrigation, upgrading rural roads, building hydrological stations for early disaster, flooding, and salinity warnings; adjusting crop and livestock structures using VietGAP, organic, and high-tech standards to improve productivity and quality.

According to Mr. Giau, these directions and solutions will help Ho Chi Minh City build a modern, safe, and sustainable agriculture sector that meets the growing needs of both consumers and export markets.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC and Chairman of the HCMC Farmers’ Association, said this was the first networking event after the city’s administrative merger, opening opportunities for effective cooperation among departments, businesses, and farmers, especially in clean-agriculture development.

In particular, the program “Accompanying clean and safe agricultural products in HCMC 2025-2030” was launched to ensure a stable supply of safe food while raising public awareness of food safety and supporting farmers, cooperatives, and businesses in sustainable production. This initiative also contributes to the new rural development program and the growth of modern urban agriculture.

The program aims to increase the proportion of agricultural products meeting VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards citywide; build safe production - consumption chains with traceability systems to help consumers easily access quality products; and provide knowledge, technical and financial support for clean farming models. 

To achieve this, Mr. Trung stressed the need for close coordination: state agencies to create and support; enterprises to cooperate; and farmers and the Association to uphold responsibility and product quality commitments.

After the conference, the Association will establish working groups with clear assignments to address each issue, from capital and policy support to quality control and communication. The programs will be finalized and incorporated into the next term’s resolution, with a five-year roadmap.

“This is not only an action program but also a political commitment reflecting the Association’s responsibility to farmers and consumers. The sincere and practical ideas shared today will serve as the foundation for the Association to finalize a detailed plan and promptly implement the ‘Accompanying clean agricultural products’ program in real life. From there, HCMC’s clean agricultural products will become truly transparent, protected, and widely promoted, ensuring credibility, public health, and contributing to building a modern, civilized, and sustainable agriculture for the health of citizens in the new era", Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung affirmed.