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Category: Crops

Vitalising the Vietnamese potato sector: the results of the 4th project year

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

Since its launch in 2014, the ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project made a great deal of progress to develop the potato sector in Vietnam and we are pleased to share the results of the 4th project year. With the launch of the new potato campaign Gia Dinh Ha Lan with the slogan: “Born in the Netherlands grown in Vietnam” the introduction of Dutch potato varieties in Vietnam entered the next phase.Goi

During the 4th project year the focus of the project activities shifted further to support the commercial introduction of the potato varieties Rosagold and Markies as both varieties neared the requirements to complete the registration process for commercial introduction in Vietnam. To support the market introduction the marketing and branding campaign related to Dutch potato varieties was updated after further consumer research and feedback on the materials developed. With the launch of the brand Gia Dinh Ha Lan the commercial introduction Markies and Rosagold can be further supported with marketing and branding activities, materials and media.

Looking already beyond the project time line, for 4 more potato varieties the start of the registration process for commercial introduction was made, based on good trial results. Increasing the portfolio of potato varieties available for Vietnamese farmers will further support the development of the potato sector in Vietnam and contribute to the long-term impact of the project.

Please find below a summary of some major project results or activities during the 4th project year. For more information please find the full annual project report through the link below:


Year 4: Project results Apr 2017 – Mar 2018 Download
Potato farmer training in potato production mechanization in Lam Dong province by Wageningen University

Supply development

  • Reached all potato variety registration requirements to pass registration of Markies and Rosagold
  • Continued registration activities of 5 potato varieties
  • Further training of potato production advisors in mechanisation of potato production
  • Total of 2,014 farmers (72% female) completed training in potato production (seed preparation, fertilization, disease prevention, processing and preserving the harvest
  • Total of 52 potato production advisers trained in potato production to assist potato farmers and help establishing contracts between farmers and traders
  • Continued efforts to increase farmer income through potato production and gender inclusiveness
  • 5 additional persons attended the potato training at the Potato Business School in Emmeloord

Demand development

  • 103 households prepared 4 newly selected potato varieties at home and provided feedback per potato variety
  • 818 consumers interviewed to get more insight in their potato preferences
  • Updated marketing and branding activities and materials for Dutch potato varieties
  • Launch of Gia Dinh Ha La marketing and branding campaign
  • Continuously online potato awareness campaign
  • 45 persons at retailers trained in added value of Dutch potato varieties and potato sales strategy

Supply chain development

  • 2 signed collaborations between the project and potato traders
  • 36 field days organized, attended by 19 traders and 534 farmers
  • Total of 1,358 farmers (64% female) signed contracts with traders to deliver potatoes, covering an estimated 1,358 tons of table potatoes
  • Total of 1,793 contracts for processing potato realized

Policy development

  • 2 meetings with the Potato Policy Discussion Platform

Potato varieties Rosagold and Markies registered for commercial sales in Vietnam

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

After successfully completing the registrations process for commercial sales of potato varieties, Rosagold and Markies were unanimously approved by the scientific council for commercial sales in Vietnam. This approval was officially ratified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on 17 January 2019.

The registration of Rosagold and Markies is a major milestone as part of the FDOV project: “Growing out of poverty with potato”. With this registration Vietnamese farmers now have access to these 2 potato varieties. With their higher yield and better quality, the commercial introduction of these 2 varieties will assist Vietnamese potato farmers to increase their income and Vietnamese consumers to enjoy potato varieties meeting their taste profile and of better quality. The whole registration process took over 3 years with numerous trials in various regions across Vietnam, therefore we are very pleased that our activities have led to this result. 

To support the market introduction of Rosagold and Markies, both varieties in cooperation with Vietnamese traders, will be sold under the brand Gia Dinh Ha Lan.

For more information see:  https://giadinhhalan.com

‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ is a five-year PPP (public-private partnership) project (2014-2019) between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Fresh Studio, Agrico, PepsiCo Vietnam and Wageningen University, with the objective of setting an example of a sustainable value chain for high quality potato in Vietnam.

Sowing a bright future for economic development and women’s empowerment

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

There are great opportunities to increase vegetable production in Son La and through these vegetable value chains empower local ethnic women and increase their technical as well as their management skills.

Successful vegetable production starts with access to good quality seeds, seedlings and access to knowledge and technologies for more advanced vegetable production. Without ensuring that these points are well implemented and present locally it will be difficult to bring vegetable production chains to a higher level.

This project will enable access to good quality seeds, seedlings and knowledge and technologies for more advanced vegetable production to hundreds of local farmers and farmers groups, specifically targeting ethic women.

Project objectives

  • Establishment of a seedling production sector creating increased capacity, additional income and jobs for ethic women in Moc Chau and Van Ho, with further upscaling in other areas.
  • More professional vegetable production resulting in better quality vegetables, produced year-round, in compliance with Viet GAP and against a better cost price generating higher incomes for over 500 famer households in Moc Chau and Van Ho and other areas in Son La province.
  • Establishment of 13 successful agri-businesses led and managed by women.
  • Creation of new and stable jobs within the agriculture sector suitable for local women.
  • Increased capacity of over 350 local women in technical and management skills through extension services, field days and training sessions
  • Accelerate the development of an inclusive, sustainable and modern horticulture production sector in Son La province
  • Increased cooperation between the public and private sector to develop the horticulture sector in Son La providing women more choice to beneficially engage in agriculture.

Project donor

Project partners

  • Applied Horticultural Research
  • BvB Substrates
  • Royal Brinkman
  • Semillas Fito
  • Semences Gautier
  • Fresh Studio

GAP Sein Ta Lone Mango Value Chain Study in Myanmar

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

Fresh Studio is commissioned to analyze several reduced-input value chains in several GMS countries including Myanmar.

In the last week of November 2017, Fresh Studio Vietnam and Myanmar conducted a value chain analysis of GAP certified mango in Mandalay and Sagaing region in Myanmar. Besides analysing the mango chain in Myanmar, two other chains are being analysed as part of this assignment: coconut in Vietnam and vegetables in Thailand.

The research is part of a program, which enhances market access for sustainable environmentally friendly and safe agricultural produce using reduced chemicals. A key objective of the program is to identify opportunities and approaches to improve the competitiveness of high value fruit chains.

Only recently Myanmar started to develop GAP standards, mango is one of the first 14 products to receive a GAP standard/guideline/protocol. Myanmar produces a unique mango variety called Sein Ta Lone (‘one diamond’) and has a special flavour well adapted in the Mandalay region, Myanmar. Within the analysis a closer look was given to GAP certified mango growers and particular GAP certified Sein Ta Lone growers.

With a multi-disciplinary team consisting out of 9 members the intensive field work week focused on GAP mango supply chain actors including input suppliers, farmers (GAP and non-GAP), collectors, wholesalers, processors, exporters and policy makers. The teams collected the information through various RDA-techniques: focus group discussions, production calendar, gross margin analysis, in-depth interviews, time-lines etc. Within the teams there was a different focus on stakeholders.

The largest share of mango production is traded as fresh fruit both for export and domestic market; the remainder is mostly processed into dried and frozen mango, puree and leather. The largest portion of mango goes to China through border trade and 1st grade mangoes go to Singapore. For Sein Ta Lone (GAP) it is still challenging to get premium price. The major challenges include weak institutional linkages together with low capacities between and within the different stakeholders along the value chain and the mango-demand outside Myanmar is not requesting a Myanmar GAP-standard.

Vitalizing the Vietnamese potato sector: results year 3

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

How to achieve food security, improved nutrition and accelerate sustainable agriculture in Vietnam? How to increase the income of small scale farmers in Vietnam? The ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project aims to tackle this challenge and sets an example by creating a value chain for a high quality and sustainable potato production system in Vietnam.

Since its launch in 2014, the ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project made a great deal of progress and we are pleased to share the results of the 3rd project year. 22 March 2017, the Dutch Vice Minister for Agriculture Ms. Marjolijn Sonnema visited the ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project Pro Poor Potato project in Vietnam. During her visit she visited the potato fields in Tu Son district and Bac Ninh where she handed over the official certificates to farmers that successfully completed the three potato training modules introduced by the project and helped to harvest potatoes. These activities and direct discussion with Vietnamese farmers gave her a good impression of the positive impact the project is already having to vitalise the Vietnamese potato sector.

Supply

  • First 2 potato varieties passed phase 1 of the registration process and are now in final registration phase (commercial production of these varieties).
  • Continuation of potato variety trials and registration of 6 more potato varieties.
  • Potato production enhancing equipment, like irrigation systems and machinery to plant and harvest potatoes introduced to potato farmers.
  • 1,691 farmers (of which 72% female) received a training certificate after attending 3 potato training modules regarding potato production.
  • Training of 27 potato production advisors was completed. Potato production advisors will visit contract farmers at least once every two weeks to assist them in optimizing their production performance.

Demand

  • Over 1,000.000 consumers were reached through awareness campaigns in 21 wet markets and 7 supermarkets in Hanoi and HCMC.
  • 400 consumers were interviewed to get more insight in their potato preferences.
  • Food labs: 600 consumers participated in the sensory evaluation of potato varieties.
  • 50 households prepared 4 selected potato varieties at home and provided feedback per potato variety.

Supply chain development

  • 28 field days were organized and attended by 19 traders and over 400 farmers.
  • 875 farmers signed contracts with farmers for table potatoes and 979 contracts signed for processing potato.
  • Over 800,000 kg table potatoes contracted and bought from farmers by traders involved in project.

Policy development

Download the Policy BriefDownload
  • Potato policy brief developed and presented to various Vietnamese authorities and the Dutch Vice-Minister of Agriculture Ms. Marjolein Sonnema.
  • Potato policy workshop organized with all project partners, Dutch embassy, Vietnamese authorities and research institutes.
  • For more in-depth information about the progress in year 3 of the ‘Growing out of Poverty’ with potato project and projection to year 4 kindly download the full newsletter of Year 3 below:
Year 3: Project results Apr 2016 – Mar 2017Download

Shallot value chain analysis highlights key intervention opportunities

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

In Vietnam, the province of Soc Trang is famous for its shallots. Since a few years, however, it is no longer the shallot itself but the shallot farmers which are grabbing headlines across the country.

Most shalllot farmers are among the poorest people in the country. Increasingly unpredictable rainfall has lowered yields and changing market conditions have created demand uncertainty. Each year thousands of tons of shallots remain unsold. Soc Trang province is aware of the difficulties facing the sector and wants to provide support.

Fresh Studio was requested to support Soc Trang province in this process. In the first phase of the project, Fresh Studio conducted a value chain analysis to critically assess the issues faced by different stakeholders and identify opportunities for improvement, including:

  • High cost and inconsistent quality of shallot seed.
  • Unstainable shallot production practices.
  • Short storage period with high losses of consumption shallot and seed shallot.
  • Losing market share in the domestic market due to strong competition from cheap and year-round available Indian shallots.
  • Consumers like the Vinh Chau shallot, but are not aware about the heritage of Vinh Chau shallots and can only buy them a few months per year.

Based on the findings of the value chain analysis, a detailed action plan will be made to develop the shallot sector. Read more about our Soc Trang value chain analysis below or contact us for further information about this project.

Download the report impressionDownload

Dutch Horticulture Open House event: completion TF Horti Dalat project

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

The Transition Facility (TF) project “Accelerating the development of modern greenhouse vegetable production in Vietnam”, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs started in 2014 in Lam Dong province. This project is coming to a close. To highlight the innovations introduced and celebrate the achievements a Dutch Horticulture Open House was organized at the R&D farm of Fresh Studio in Dalat.

The first ever Dutch Horticulture Open House was a huge success with over 300 attending farmers. Greenhouse technologies used within the project were exposed and demonstrated to farmers and project partners during the event. The Open House provided ample opportunities for networking and discussions. Also, the six pilot farmers, whom invested in imported greenhouses, were put into the spotlight.

The following results clearly show that this project contributed to the accelerated development of modern greenhouse production in Vietnam and has created a foundation to further introduce Dutch greenhouse technologies in Vietnam:

  • > 720 farmers trained in modern greenhouse production
  • 6 Modern greenhouse established with 6 pilot farmers
  • 4 vegetable brands created
  • 3 Training manuals developed
  • Successful commercial introduction of various new inputs
  • Next disbursement of loans of 300,000 EUR to invest in modern greenhouse production in preparation

These results would not have been achieved without the contribution and support of all the project partners. We are grateful for this cooperation and look forward to see you all during the next Horticulture Open House at our R&D farm in 2018.

Photo impression of Dutch Horticulture Open House

This development is a result of the collaboration with project:

Accelerating a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector

Modern greenhouse vegetable production can provide an innovative solution to meet the fast growing demand for high quality, safe and sustainable produced vegetables, which are year round available …

Dutch potato to help lift up Vietnamese agriculture

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

The Dutch Vice-Minister of Agriculture and local authorities of Bac Ninh province visited an event in the field of the project “Growing out of poverty with potato” in Tien Du district, Bac Ninh on the occasion of potato harvest and delivery of training certificates to participating farmers.

“Growing out of poverty with potato” is 5 year PPP (Public Private Partnership) project (2014-2019) between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Fresh Studio (local project management), Agrico, PepsiCo Vietnam and Dutch Wageningen University. With the objective of setting an example of a sustainable value chain for high quality potato in Vietnam, the project has been implemented for two years and has acquired promising achievements. The event is the result of commercial production trials for two Dutch potato varieties, Markies & Rosagold, before putting in mass production.

Potatoes provide an interesting opportunity to improve food security, support pro-poor development and boost a healthy, diverse diet in Vietnam. Despite being richer in fibre, vitamins, and minerals than rice or wheat, with the production requiring less water and land, production and consumption of potatoes in Vietnam are still very modest. Potato has also been proved a profitable addition to the current crops planted by small-scale farmers in Vietnam.

Siebe van Wijk, Managing Director of Fresh Studio stated during his presentation: “The 5-year project stimulates supply, fosters demand, develops the value chain and initiates a structural policy dialogue to support a sustainable potato sector in Vietnam. The project is successful when the Vietnamese potato sector can compete with imports and supplies of both the domestic table potato market and the potato processing industry with a consistent volume of high quality potatoes”.

On the supply side, the project focuses on testing high-yielding varieties, training farmers and production advisors. After two years the project obtained among others the following achievements:

  • 2 high quality potato varieties were selected to be introduced in Vietnamese market.
  • Purchase, test and introduction of tractors, planting and harvesting machines.
  • 27 production advisers and 1690 farmers (70% female) were trained in potato production.
  • Farmers and traders were connected during a series of field activities, after which more than 648 supply contracts were signed.
  • Nearly 1000,000 consumers in the urban areas of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city were reached during awareness campaigns (online and offline) on nutritional values of potatoes and preparation modes.
  • To understand the demand, preferences and behaviour of consumers, 1000 consumers participated in consumer research.
  • The Potato Policy Discussion Platform has been formed and active with regular meetings and policy workshops.

Speaking at the event, Marjolijn Sonnema, Dutch Vice Minister of Agriculture stated:“As one of the world’s biggest agricultural manufacturers, the Netherlands hopes that our expertise will help Vietnam in enhancing food security, promoting sustainable agricultural production, increasing farmers’ incomes, and improving their livelihoods”.

With a smart approach and dedicated implementing partners, it is positive that the project will be able to build a robust system for potato sector which can sustain and flourish even after the project finishes. And the day when Vietnamese potato can compete with imports, supplying effectively for the domestic market will be in vision.

Enhancing the capabilities of Vietnamese key-trainers in protected horticulture in South Vietnam

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

HollandDoor and Fresh Studio in collaboration with Nong Lam University organized the first training week of a 2 week practical training course to build the capacity of 20 key persons active in protected horticulture in the south of Vietnam.

The practical training course was held from 24 – 28 October at the Agricultural High Tech Park in Cu Chi. For this training week 3 greenhouse crops (tomato, melon and lettuce) were established as practical training locations.

The training deals with:

  1. Knowledge transfer and skills training in the field of market-oriented, sustainable (protected) cultivation
  2. Training on appropriate, practical training methods for farmers, engineers and students (including course and materials development)
  3. Training on the concept of knowledge sharing between farmers and sme’s (study groups)

During the first practical training week participants were trained by Jos Leeters, Geerten van der Lugt, Lo Xuan Dung and René van Rensen in:

  • Fertigation and irrigation strategies for greenhouse crops
  • Measuring and monitoring farm activities and greenhouse crops
  • Training methodology
  • Substrate characteristics and usage
  • Supply chain and market trends

Through presentations, practical exercises and group discussion the trainees gained valuable insights in these subjects and how to apply these within the local situation. The enthusiasm of both the trainers and trainees resulted not only in a very successful and but also enjoyable training week as can be seen in the photo impression of the training week.

This practical training course was offered with the financial support of EP Nuffic and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

Vitalising the Vietnamese potato sector: read the results of year 2

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

How to achieve food security, improved nutrition and accelerate sustainable agriculture in Vietnam? How to increase the income of small scale farmers in Vietnam? 

The ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project aims to tackle this challenge and sets an example by creating a value chain for a high quality and sustainable potato production system in Vietnam. Since its launch in 2014, the ‘Growing out of poverty with potato’ project made a great deal of progress. The results up to March 2016:

Year 2: Project results Apr 2015 – Mar 2016Download

In summary

Supply

  • Field trials with 5 high-yielding potato varieties were successfully completed.
  • Potato production enhancing equipment, like irrigation systems and machinery to plant and harvest potatoes was successfully tested.
  • 950 farmers (of which 70% female) received a training certificate after attending 3 potato training modules regarding potato production.
  • Training of 14 potato production advisors was completed. Potato production advisors will visit contract farmers at least once every two weeks to assist them in optimizing their production performance.

Demand

  • Over 200.000 consumers were reached through awareness campaigns in wet markets and supermarkets in Hanoi and HCMC.
  • 400 consumers were interviewed to get more insight in their potato preferences.
  • Food labs: 400 consumers participated in the sensory evaluation of potato varieties.
  • 50 households prepared 4 selected potato varieties at home and provided feedback per potato variety.

Supply chain development

  • 10 field days were organized and attended by 6 traders and over 350 farmers.
  • 353 farmers signed contracts with traders to deliver potatoes.

Policy development

  • 2 meetings were organized with the Potato Policy Discussion platform
  • In cooperation with all partners, Dutch embassy, Vietnamese authorities and research institutes a policy brief was completed with recommendations to strengthen the Vietnamese potato sector.

For more in-depth information about the progress in year 2 of the ‘Growing out of Poverty’ with potato project and projection to year 3 kindly download the full newsletter of Year 2 below:

Year 2: Project results Apr 2015 – Mar 2016Download

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