A memorandum of understanding on farm produce sales is signed by representatives of travel businesses and the farmer's association of Tr'hy commune in Quảng Nam Province. The deal would help the ethnic Cơ Tu group increase sales of crop products. Photo courtesy of Lê Văn Tin

QUẢNG NAM — A deal on farm produce supply was inked by farmers’ association of Tr’hy commune – a Cơ Tu ethnic community in Quảng Nam Province – and a group of tourism and cuisine associations in Đà Nẵng, marking an initial connection and co-operation in agro-tourism in central Việt Nam.

This is also the first instance of travel and food supply businesses in Đà Nẵng building a sustainable farm produce distribution and supply chain with ethnic farmers.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), tourism and food supplier companies in Đà Nẵng will support local ethnic farmers in distributing farm produce from annual crops and building sustainable community-based tourism.

Vice chairman of Đà Nẵng Tourism Association Nguyễn Đức Quỳnh said the agro-tourism co-operation has high potential as Đà Nẵng has 1,300 hotels and resorts from two to five stars.

“It’s a base for future development of safe agricultural product chain and green tourism. Hospitality industry would create innovation from community-grown farm produce in serving international travellers,” Quỳnh said.

“The MoU is not only a commitment on distribution of farming products from the ethnic community, but creating a basic framework for sustainable agro-tourism in the region.”

Travel businesses join a field survey of the safe farm produce zone in Tr'Hy commune in Quảng Nam Province. It's the first agro-tourism co-operation deal between hospitality businesses and the community. Photo courtesy of Lê Văn Tin

Tr’hy communal party secretary Lê Hoàng Linh said: ”The deal on the sale of agriculture output of the ethnic community would help improve income for local farmers while expanding production and community-based tourism.”

“The mountainous commune has a potential labour force, but lacks knowledge in building organic production and farm produce preservation technology.”

Gentzsch Andre Pierre, General Manager of Furama-Ariyana Danang International Tourism Complex, shared: "Sustainable development is a key focus value of Furama Resort Đà Nẵng. The deal would provide the resort a clean and stable source of farm produce and bring local culture-based gastronomy to tourists.”

Tr’hy commune, 150km from Đà Nẵng on the border with Laos, is home to 390 households with total 1,500 people, of which 202 are poor families (51 per cent). Most families earn their living from farm produce and medicinal herbs from the forest. VNS