A customer examines produce at a Co.opmart supermarket in HCM City. — VNA Photo Thanh Vũ |
HCM CITY – The pilot project to put origin-tracing stamps on vegetable and fruits has gained initial successes after three months, a senior official has said.
Speaking at Thursday’s review meeting for the project, Trần Ngọc Hổ, deputy director of the HCM City’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said: “At the beginning, the project met customer demand for safe vegetables and fruits.”
Phước An and Phú Lộc cooperatives are producing a total of eight to 10 tonnes of vegetable and fruits per day.
The products have been sold in supermarkets including Co.op Mart, Big C, Aeon and Vinmart.
In the coming time, the department would encourage more cooperatives to join the project, but “they will have to meet quality and safety for products,” Hổ said.
To encourage more suppliers for safe vegetables and fruit, the city has applied an interest-support policy and set aside 30 per cent of investment capital to set up organic agricultural production.
“Authorities should announce standards about origin-tracing stamps in order to ensure quality of the service,” Nguyễn Trường Sơn, deputy chairman of the High-Tech Agriculture Club, said.
“Food processors are applying more modern technologies and higher standards for tracing origins so authorities should adjust regulations to be in line with the current situation,” said Nguyễn Thị Hồng Minh, chairwoman of the Traceverified Limited Company.
She said that 30 food companies had used origin-tracing services to build up customer confidence in their products. – VNS