Can Tho has entered into cooperative trading agreements to ensure food safety in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries with 104 trading chains, 18 of which involve the consumption of products in provinces and cities.

With active support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Can Tho City has successfully implemented numerous programs, plans, and solutions aimed at enhancing the quality of agricultural and aquatic products while ensuring food safety. Simultaneously, efforts are being made to strengthen coordination with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to ensure food safety and improve the quality of agricultural and aquatic products. To date, Can Tho has signed cooperative agreements on trading and ensuring food safety with 104 food safety chains, including 18 chains that distribute products to provinces and cities nationwide.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Nhon, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Can Tho City, stated that the locality is currently constructing value chains for the supply of safe and high-quality food, prioritizing the development of specialized cultivation areas and the production of clean and safe agricultural products.

In the first 10 months of 2023, Can Tho has successfully established 5 chains and 6 products, bringing the total to 104 chains and confirming 272 products. Among them, 18 chains have products for consumption in provinces and cities, and 4 chains meeting international food safety standards are distributed nationwide and exported. The local authorities are continuing efforts to build and develop two more chains for the supply of safe agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products meeting international standards.

Can Tho has already established two chains supplying safe food, specifically aquatic products, from Nhat Tam Cooperative and Pham Nghia Food Joint Stock Company, with an annual capacity of over 3,200 tons of aquatic products and processed aquatic products for the Ho Chi Minh City market.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Can Tho regularly takes the initiative to organize and coordinate with departments, sectors, and localities to promote and link information exchange and trade in OCOP (One Commune, One Product) products, safe food supply chains, and specialty products from different regions.

Especially in 2023, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Can Tho City under the Central Government (January 1, 2004 - January 1, 2024), the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development organized promotional exhibitions featuring OCOP products from Can Tho and products from more than 20 provinces and cities that have signed trading agreements and are expected to sign under the collaboration program.

Recently, two additional provinces, Ben Tre and Thua Thien - Hue, have signed trading agreements with Can Tho City, bringing the total to 17 provinces and cities that have signed agreements with Can Tho. Among them, 11 out of 12 provinces in the Mekong Delta have implemented the agreements, totaling 79 product chains, including 4 chains meeting international standards.

Many localities in the Southern region are suggesting that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development pay more attention to increasing the exchange of information, connecting supply and demand, and tightening food safety management for traded agricultural products, especially those sold in markets and supermarkets.

Mr. Pham Thanh Quang, Head of the Sub-department of Quality Management for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of An Giang Province, noted that controlling the quality and safety of agricultural and aquatic products sold in traditional markets has faced many difficulties. Therefore, effective coordination between departments and sectors within each locality and between different localities is crucial. Strengthening cooperation between provinces and cities not only helps control the products from production to consumption but also saves costs and resources in managing this process.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Le Thoa, Deputy Head of the Food Quality Management Division (Food Safety Management Board of Ho Chi Minh City), from now until 2025, Ho Chi Minh City plans to collaborate with provinces and cities to establish a safe food supply chain management system. This system will be implemented in wholesale markets, tourism establishments, restaurants, and eateries. Additionally, the city will digitize a map of safe food and establish local technical standards for safe food supply chains to provide consumers with information on product origins.