July 2014 – Fresh Studio

Sustainable dairy zone project breaks ground in Ha Nam

Posted on July 21, 2014November 9, 2022 by Ngô Khoa

A groundbreaking ceremony marked an important milestone and is considered a first encouraging step for the development of sustainable dairy zones in Vietnam, the company said in a press statement.

This project is a partnership between FrieslandCampina, De Heus, Wageningen UR, Friesian Agro Consultancy B.V, Fresh Studio, Ha Nam authorities and the Dutch Government within the Facility for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Food Security (FDOV) for the 2014-2018 period.

It is expected in the project that by 2018, three dairy zones will be established, with each zone having about 50 dairy farms, to produce at least 7,000 tons of fresh milk per year and create approximately 350 jobs.

After five years of participation in the project, each dairy farm is expected to have a herd of 50 to 80 head of cattle. In addition, the project aims to develop and implement training programs, set up a dairy cattle feed supply chain, and provide financial services for farmers participating in the project.

As the main partner in the project, FrieslandCampina undertakes the roles of management, execution and direct investment, and will establish three specialized dairy zones in Vietnam with two pilot dairy farms in each zone.

The company will help farmers gain access to preferential loans; provide training and supply technical advice for farmers; and develop and establish procurement and control systems to ensure good milk quality as well as the consumption of fresh milk at competitive prices.

The dairy zone in Ha Nam is considered a model of public-private partnership in close collaboration with national and provincial government agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the provincial government of Ha Nam, and Ha Nam’s Department of Agriculture.

FrieslandCampina has been in Vietnam for over 18 years, with more than 1.5 billion high-quality milk units supplied a year and with many favorite brands such as Dutch Lady, Friso, Yomost, and Fristi.

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Source: www.talkvietnam.com

Publication date: July 2014

Vietnamese vegetable growth in modern greenhouses

Posted on July 17, 2014November 9, 2022 by Ngô Khoa

Vietnams’ population consists of approximately 90 million people. Vegetables play an important role in their daily meals. Within the pilot-project Horti Dalat, Dutch companies are supporting the Vietnamese horti-sector with the development of modern greenhouses vegetables production.

The rapid growth of the Vietnamese population and pace and scope of retail development results in a high demand for quality products, food safety, stable supply and sustainable vegetable production.

In the Dutch article ‘Vietnamese groente gaat de kas in’, Flip van Koesveld and Huub Schepers of Applied Plant Reseach (Wageningen UR) discuss the vegetable production transition in Vietnam; from ‘outside’ to ‘inside’. For Vietnamese farmers it is smart choice to produce vegetable in greenhouses: “Shortly there are 3 reasons: less plant diseases, a reduced amount of fertilizer and higher yields. Greenhouses for vegetable production keep many issues ‘outside’ while the yield is increasing”.

Fresh Studio is, according to Van Koesveld, an important player in the chain. The company supports and creates breakthrough innovative interventions in the Asian food sector. “Fresh Studio plays a central role. We can give input how Vietnamese farmers should produce vegetables, but we do not speak their languages. For this, you need a strong local partner. One who can train farmers and who continues the project after finishing in 2016.”

+ Read the complete article (Language: Dutch)

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Source: Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland

Publication date: July 2014

Accelerating a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector

Posted on July 15, 2014November 4, 2022 by Ngô Khoa

Vietnam has high potential to develop into a more professional and higher value agricultural and horticultural economy. The growing population and pace and scope of retail development results in a demand for higher quality products, food safety, stable supply and more up-scaled and sustainable production. To address these challenges 11 companies and institutions joined forces to develop a modern greenhouse vegetable production sector.

Background

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.

The region around Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province with its unique climate has seen quite some development of greenhouse production in recent years, but the horticulture vegetable production sector is still characterized by a landscape of small producers with no knowledge of modern greenhouse vegetable production or the means to invest in modern greenhouse technologies.

A consortium consisting of Wageningen UR (PPO), Rabo Development (Rabobank), Fresh Studio, BVB Substrates, Da Lat University, HAS Hogeschool Den Bosch, Koppert Biological Systems, RijkZwaan, Ludvig Svensson, YARA, Priva have joined forces with the aim to accelerate the development of a professional greenhouse horticulture sector by:

Introducing and showcasing of modern greenhouse production technologies in order to obtain higher yield, better quality and more sustainable produce.
Establishing a platform to facilitate practical training for students and persons working within the horticulture sector
Providing the means in knowledge and financial support for farmers to invest in modern greenhouse technologies
Establishing a financial product to support investments in modern greenhouse production by local farmers

Approach

To accelerate the development of a modern greenhouse vegetable sector, the project develops a solution for bottlenecks below:

Relatively low yield levels;
Current unsustainable production methods;
Low percentage of class I products;
Lack of access by farmers to:
Means to finance the investment in professional greenhouse production;
No product differentiation in the market.
Lack of facilities to train students and extension staff in practice

Outcome

To overcome these bottlenecks the implementation of the following interventions are included:

Develop training and extension materials for professional greenhouse farmers and extension staff of input or service providers
Establish professional greenhouse pilot farms and develop the optimal greenhouse production model for the following crops: tomato, sweet pepper and hydroponic lettuce, covering a total production area of 6,000 m2 in Lam Dong province
The pilot greenhouse will be used as practical training and demonstration centres
In order to market tomato, sweet pepper and lettuce, a market research will be performed to determine the consumption patterns towards these products.
Create a brand to market the produced vegetables produced within the project
In cooperation with banks and investors, develop a horticulture greenhouse financial lease product, which will pre-finance investments of farmers in greenhouses
Establish a technical support system for introduced hardware
Create business opportunities for Dutch companies active in the horticulture sector

Fresh Studio brings International Fruit Brand to New Zealand Fair

Posted on July 8, 2014November 9, 2022 by Ngô Khoa

In collaboration with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Fresh Studio brings Zespri Kiwifruit straight to the Filipino audience. The largest kiwifruit marketer in the world was featured in a three-day event that showcased the best products from New Zealand.

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise organized its annual trade fair that showcased and promoted New Zealand companies, products and services in the Philippines. Held at the Glorietta Mall grounds in Makati City, the event ran from June 20-22, treating visitors to a diverse range of food, non-food items and other activities.

Together with NZTE and Zespri’s Philippine importer, Fresh Studio introduced the latest Zespri variety to consumers visiting the event – SunGold Kiwifruit. The activity was a combination of product sampling and selling.

The objective of the event was to promote Zespri SunGold – provide significant exposure to the brand and allow Filipino consumers a first-hand experience of Zespri’s latest product in the market.

Very warm reception for Zespri SunGold

Zespri SunGold had a very warm reception from the Filipino audience. The distinct tropical sweet and refreshing qualities rightly match the Filipino palate. All throughout the event, visitors enjoyed and attest to a pleasantly unique and delightful flavor. Staffs were available on the ground as well to complement this experience with a consistent message of health – Zespri Kiwifruit is truly one of the world’s most nutritious fruits.

Before the end of the 3-day event, visitors gave an overwhelming response: SunGold inventories were sold out, with still many customers clamoring for more!

Month: July 2014