The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference on ensuring food safety. — VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Many key products of the northern mountainous province of Hòa Bình have entered the system of supermarkets and large commercial centres in Hà Nội, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Vương Đắc Hùng told a recent conference.

The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference on ensuring food safety between the city and province in the northern mountainous province.

The conference highlighted the results of the implementation of the programme which coordinates trade, promotes agricultural product consumption and State management in the agricultural sector between the capital city and Hòa Bình Province in the 2016-20 period and the 2021-25 period.

The organisation of goods weeks, fairs and forums in Hà Nội has created a trading point and connected product consumption for businesses, restaurants and hotels.

Thereby, key products of the province such as Sông Đà fish, Cao Phong oranges, Tân Lạc red-flesh grapefruit, organic vegetables, and hill chicken have been supplied to supermarkets and retail systems in Hà Nội.

These products are received and appreciated by the people of the capital.

Deputy Director of Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Ngọc Sơn said that Hòa Bình needed to effectively implement plans and programmes to co-ordinate quality management, food safety and development of a supply chain of safe agricultural products and food for Hà Nội.

The deputy director also asked the province to strengthen the organisation of large-scale, high technology and sustainable production chains, and develop production chains with GAP, GMP, HACCP certifications.

Sơn also recommended building brands and geographical indications, and improve products’ design and packaging to make distributors and consumers recognise and feel assured when using the products.

Director of the Hà Nội Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Control Sub-Department Nguyễn Thị Thu Hằng reviewed some results after implementing the programme which co-ordinates trade, promotes consumption of agricultural products, and State management in the agricultural sector between Hà Nội and Hòa Bình.

The Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development signed a memorandum of co-operation with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hòa Bình Province to develop the supply chain of safe agricultural products with traceability stamps for Hà Nội on December 21, 2018.

These are also other memorandums of understanding and co-operation on trade promotion, and consumption of safe agricultural, forestry and fishery products; as well as regulations on product quality control and product traceability.

Following the signing of these memorandums of understanding and co-operation, organisations and companies have held and introduced 135 businesses and co-operatives to participate in fairs, forums, farmers' markets for safe food and safe agricultural product identification weeks in provinces and cities.

At the same time, the province has also co-ordinated with media channels to build 110 columns, reportages and news articles to promote and introduce key agricultural, forestry and fishery products of Hòa Bình Province; signed 10 memorandums of understanding among businesses in Hà Nội and Hòa Bình in linking and consuming agricultural products.

The northern mountainous province is the second province after Hà Nội to build a system of traceability, anti-counterfeiting authentication and supply-demand connection at hb.check.net.vn.

From the implementation results, there have been many strong products of the province that are sold by the system of supermarkets and large trade centres in the capital city.

Up to now, there are 100 products of 81 subjects recognised by the provincial People's Committee to achieve OCOP products of three stars or higher; 46 certified and protected trademarks in the market; 100 production and business establishments have been certified with safe supply chain products.

At the conference, delegates discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the issues of traceability, price, and transportation in the process of consuming Hòa Bình's agricultural products in Hà Nội.

Within the framework of the programme, the delegates visited typical agricultural production facilities of the province in the agro-forestry-fishery field. — VNS