Gia Đình Hà Lan potato brand launched in major supermarket, wholesale markets and canteens in Vietnam.

The successful launch of Gia Dinh Ha Lan brand, meaning “born in the Netherlands, grown in Vietnam”  bring  the introduction of Dutch potato varieties in Vietnam to the next level.

Learn more about our brand values and products, visit: https://giadinhhalan.com/

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After the successful registration of Rosagold  and Markies as part of the FDOV project: “Growing out of poverty with potato”, Vietnamese farmers can now increase their income from better yield and sale.  Vietnamese consumers can now access and enjoy potato varieties that meet their taste profile and with better quality in major supermarkets including AEON, Big C, CoopMart and MegaMart in Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh cities. A value chain has been set up among farmers, traders and retailers who collaborate and make sure potatoes under Gia Dinh Ha Lan brand are consistently available and accessible to Vietnamese consumers.

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

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:

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

Vitalizing the Vietnamese potato sector: results year 3

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

  • 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:

Dutch potato to help lift up Vietnamese agriculture

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.

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

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:

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:

Accelerating the development of the Vietnamese potato sector

The stereotype of Asian agriculture consists of endless rice fields. However, there is plenty of space for potato, both literally and figuratively speaking. The project “Growing out of poverty with potato” strives to support Vietnam in becoming more self-sufficient in the production of potatoes. The project covers the entire chain, from farmer to consumer.

Article by: Marc Meijer

How many objectives could one project possibly target simultaneously? The revitalization of the modest Vietnamese potato industry through this project increases the living standards of farmers, expands the diet variations of the population, improve food safety, makes Vietnam become self sufficient with domestic potato supply and contributes to sustainable agricultural growth.” It completely addresses all different crucial aspects, and therefore is a solid and inspiring project. I believe in this project.” says Mrs. Sigrid Wertheim-Heck, the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Fresh Studio.

New varieties

The project encompasses three components. “On the production side, we’re introducing new varieties and sustainable cultivation techniques, targeting 2500 farmers. In addition, we support the farmers with trainings and the organization of their businesses. With simple farming machinery we try to improve the working conditions. This is necessary, since potato cultivation is a labor-intensive activity. It involves strenuous manual work. Most of the cultivation and harvesting is taken up by women.” On the demand side, the project focuses on raising awareness about the nutritional values of potatoes. Building on an extensive consumer research, this will be achieved by an extensive awareness campaign in early 2016. The third component consists of establishing the linkage between supply and demand. “We identify the proper traders and retailers in order to supply high quality potatoes in the best possible way to consumers.

It completely addresses all different crucial aspects, and therefore is a solid and inspiring project. I believe in this project.

Mrs. Sigrid Wertheim-Heck

Taste lab

What distinguishes this project from similar projects is the significant focus on demand. In other words, as Mrs. Wertheim-Heck puts it: “We assess the agricultural performance of the new varieties as well as the market performance.” The latter happens in “taste labs”-locations where consumers (and farmers) can taste and judge new potatoes varieties. In this way, the market potential of certain varieties will be apparent in advance.

Combination

“Growing out of poverty with potato” is a public-private partnership between Fresh Studio, PepsiCo Vietnam, Agrico BV and Applied Plant Research WUR. This consortium combines local expertise with international cultivation advice, and introduces Dutch potato varieties with commercial potential for different purposes. The potato cultivation season in Vietnam fits in the rice-low season. This implies that farmers can generate an additional income in this period.

Big buyer

The participation of PepsiCo Vietnam, a company with large purchasing power and interest in sourcing high quality product from sustainable producers, is important.” said Mrs. Wertheim-Heck. “It provides stability for the farmers. The support from the Dutch Government with FDOV (see box) enables us, the project partners, to execute a project that would otherwise not be feasible for a stand-alone private party. A sector in Vietnam that received less attention, is given a major upswing on all aspects.”

FDOV

With the “Facility for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Food Security” (FDOV) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands stimulates public-private partnerships in the field of food security and private sector development in emerging markets. RVO is responsible for the operational management of this facility. For more information visit: http://www.rvo.nl/subsidies-regelingen/programma-publieke-private-samenwerking/faciliteit-duurzaam-ondernemen-en-voedselzekerheid.

Read this article in Dutch @ RVO.nl

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Source: RVO.nl

Publication date: 2015

Sigrid Wertheim-Heck on ‘Pro-Poor Potato’ project in Vietnam

95% of Vietnam’s potatoes are grown in the Red River Delta, during the cool weather season when rice cannot be grown. Potato production is an excellent alternative to improve the local food security and increase the income of smallholder farmers. In the Central Highlands potatoes can be produced year-round. Therefore the Growing Out of Poverty with Potato project, managed by Fresh Studio, is located in exactly these areas.

In this FDOV-funded partnership Fresh Studio, PepsiCo, Agrico and Wageningen UR cooperate to establish more sustainable potato production systems in Vietnam. At the same time, the project aims to increase the consumer awareness about the nutritional value of potatoes. PPP Lab’s Marleen Brouwer interviewed Sigrid Wertheim-Heck (director Marketing and Business Development of Fresh Studio) about this inspiring partnership.

What are you currently working on in the project?

At this moment we are working on both the supply side as well as the demand side of potato sector development. On the supply side, the farmers are being introduced to new quality seed potatoes, combined with trainings on crop management and overall capacity development. We are also working on our hardware investment plan to introduce, among others, potato planting and harvesting machinery in the near future. Since most of the farmers in our project are women, we hope that the potato production work will become less labour-intensive and less time-consuming. Women have to combine household tasks with farming, and through machinery we aim to relieve some of the most arduous, physically strenuous farming tasks.

On the demand side, we are working on the adoption of new high quality Dutch potato varieties in the Vietnamese diet. The new high quality varieties aim to provide consumers with a better quality alternative to the current rather limited offer. However, varieties that might be a bit bigger, smoother or have a different colour are not automatically accepted. When we work with farmers we need to assist also the adoption of the distinct produce in the market. Since the demand for potatoes is higher than the supply, outcompeting other providers is not the case.

Lately we have done a baseline study, among 400 consumers in the north of Vietnam and 400 in the South, to learn more about today’s potato consumption and people’s knowledge about the nutritional value of potatoes. We repeated the study during the potato season to correct for potential seasonality bias. We see that consumers in the South have different preferences than in the North. In general potato is valued as a healthy product both in the South and in the North. Still there is an inherited association with potato as a “poor man’s food”. Our project tries to alter this perception by implementing awareness campaigns, both in urban and rural areas. We are even establishing taste labs, which is yet a quite unknown phenomenon in the agricultural sector of Vietnam.

What do you see as the biggest challenge within your project at this stage?

We have to work hard to make this PPP work and to implement all our planned activities, but actually we do not encounter any big issues. In my opinion, the project is doing really well. Important to add: we did not start from scratch when we received the subsidy. This is a major advantage. We are building upon potato research, which we previously conducted. Besides we already know the farmers, because our agronomy team works in the rural areas. Moreover, our relations with local governments and cooperatives are very good.

We have formally kicked off our activities in October 2014, and since then the implementation is progressing as expected. The farmers are enthusiastic about the project, and very willing to participate in the training and variety testing (which includes demonstration farms). Our aim is to include 70% female farmers, which seems feasible given the importance of women in potato production. This first season we have trained 500 farmers, the majority being women, of the totally targeted 2500 farmers.

In your opinion, what are the biggest pitfalls for PPPs in the FDOV subsidy framework?

Starting new projects in new project frameworks is always challenging. The start-up took a while, but it also aided a robust set-up and clear direction, which benefits the project in its operations and secures that ambitions can be met. Changes in personnel of RVO resulted in delays of communication and thus project progress, but currently this is running well. Another challenge is the physical distance between RVO in the Netherlands and the partnership in Vietnam. When developing projects over larger distances, it is sometimes hard to understand the specific local conditions. Lastly, the project has a duration of five years. Defining fixed outcomes, for example in terms of farmer income, might prove to have limited value over five years’ time. Many aspects may influence the outcomes, of which several might be external circumstances beyond control. We deem it important to keep a certain level of flexibility within projects to mitigate unforeseen circumstances, or be able to embrace unexpected beneficial conditions.

Are there subjects that you would like to discuss with other parties involved in PPPs?

All PPPs are run in another way, but I am curious to learn how other practitioners design and implement their projects. Cross-learning is crucial to make all PPPs better, and to improve the FDOV and FDW facilities for the sake of sustainable development. I would like to discuss with others how they do their research, how they train their farmers, but also how they manage their PPPs and how they do monitoring & evaluation. What works, what does not work, what can we do differently?

Is there anything that you would like to share with other PPP practitioners?

At Fresh Studio we have discovered that managing a FDOV PPP is a fulltime job. This is not just a project for on the side. It takes a lot of time and effort to do it right. Furthermore, PPPs have a proven value, but they are never a guarantee for success. It is always a means to get somewhere, and not a goal in itself. In our partnership we are committed to be innovative, and part of the innovation lies in interdisciplinary cooperation. It is important to keep on listening to each other, to truly learn from each other’s views and beliefs. We all come from different backgrounds; farmers, businessmen and researchers all have their own objectives. Therefore it is crucial to continuously manage expectations to make a PPP successful.

More information about the potato project can be found here.

Read the project profile including snapshot information about the partnership

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Source: PPP Lab

Publication date: 2015

Potato trials planted in North Vietnam and the Central Highlands

As part of a project of NAK AGRO to strengthen the Vietnamese seed potato production sector Fresh Studio is carrying out potato trials in North Vietnam and in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Potato is an important crop in Vietnam of which the current annual demand is surpassing the annual produced volume. One reason for this is that the established seed potato production sector in Vietnam is not well-organized. This results in poor availability of good quality potato seeds for farmers, which in the end is limiting the current potato production potential in Vietnam.


Since 2011, NAK AGRO is implementing a project in order to strengthen the Vietnamese seed potato production sector. As part of this project local authorities are trained in the production and inspection of seed potatoes. To support these training activities and to identify potential potato varieties to produce in Vietnam, Fresh Studio is performing potato trials in North Vietnam and the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The potato varieties will be harvested in 2014.

Developing a sustainable potato production system

One of the world’s largest potato processing firms, the world’s leading fertilizer company and the world’s largest crop protection product company contracted Fresh Studio to develop a higher yielding, higher quality and more sustainable potato production protocol in Vietnam.

Fresh Studio joined with leading Dutch potato breeding companies, to select new and potentially suitable potato varieties. In close collaboration with its clients, Fresh Studio developed a variety of cultivation protocols. These new varieties and protocols were tested in random block-design trials during four different seasons. The tests were conducted at Fresh Studio’s own R&D farm in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

These trials resulted in the selection of two much higher yielding and higher quality potato varieties than the currently farmed standard. With these new varieties and improved cultivation protocols, yields were increased from 45% to 80%. Post-harvest and processing trials (fry tests) showed that the new varieties performed better than the current standard.

During our organized field days, hundreds of potato farmers were able to observe the difference between varieties, and related cultivation protocols. Fresh Studio is currently working closely with its clients to introduce these new varieties, conduct more potato trials all over Vietnam, as well as to develop a plan to train large numbers of farmers in new potato cultivation protocols.

Potato potential assessment

Our Dutch client, a potato seed and potato trading company, approached Fresh Studio with a view to conducting a feasibility study regarding the production and marketing of high quality Dutch table and processing potatoes in Vietnam.

We researched cultivation potential by testing 15 different potato varieties in Dalat and North Vietnam. Market potential and consumer preference were investigated through market research of current potato sales and consumption, consumer panels, food labs with chefs, sales pilots across modern and traditional outlets, and product test in co-operation with the processing industry.

The research resulted in potato breeds, which grow well across climate zones, and which offer sound market potential. Both professional services and private consumers clearly preferred selections of Dutch high-quality variety above the current offer.

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