Products made from coconut are popular online items (Photo: yescoco.vn) HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Nguyen Thi Kim Truyen from Ben Tre province’s ChauThanh district, who has been making coconut oil for decades, has startedselling her product online.
Truyen has learned how to post photos and information about her products on theLazada website under a scheme to help businesses sell products via e-commerceplatforms.
At first, Truyen, 51, struggled to learn how to use a smartphone or computerbut she never felt discouraged. “We should try something new to be able toreach more customers,” she said.
She has confidence in the scheme as today people prefer buying products onlinedue to “fast shipping, affordable and reasonable prices”, she said.
Her shop is one of many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) making coconut products in the province,known as the country’s “coconut capital”.
Coconut in Ben Tre has gained a reputation for high quality from local andforeign experts.
Products include food (cakes, candy, jelly, milk); cosmetics (oil, masks, lipbalm, essential oil, shampoo, mosquito repellent); handicrafts (coconut shells,spoon sets, tea sets) and products for the industrial sector (activated carbonfrom coconut shells, coconut fiber), among others.
Many businesses have become more aware of using technology to improveproductivity and quality. However, most coconut enterprises in Ben Tre find ithard to increase sales via traditional selling.
Le Thi Hue My, owner of Yes Coco, a company that produces handicrafts, in Hữu ĐịnhCommune in Chau Thanh District, said that previously most businesses sold theirproducts via traders at much lower prices.
“Cheap products with unstable revenue have caused obstacles for farmers,” shesaid.
Last month, nearly 50 representatives from businesses that make coconutproducts in Ben Tre took part in the seminar “Bringing E-commerce to theCountryside – Ben Tre Online Coconut Village”.
The workshop was organised by the Vietnam E-commerce Association, VECOM, andLazada Vietnam in collaboration with Ben Tre Department of Industry and Trade.
Nguyen Ngoc Dung, vice chairman of VECOM, said that farmers and small businesshouseholds in rural areas lacked information and skills needed to bring theirproducts to market.
The workshop provided knowledge for producers of speciality coconut goods inrural villages to reach consumers in the fastest way.
“E-commerce will help crafts villages expand their businesses, save marketingcosts, and increase product value,” he said.
This is one of Lazada’s key projects in its plan to build a sustainablee-commerce ecosystem by 2030.
Yes Coco enterprise was among the first beneficiaries to receive support fromthe project. Many of the company’s coconut tree products such as dining roomappliances, pots for plants, handbags and greeting cards have become popular.
Businesses participating in the project can open free online booths withoutcommission fees paid to the Lazada platform. Enterprises are also provided withmanagement tools such as inventory and sales management.
Ben Tre province is home to 163,000 households involved in farming 71,000 ha ofcoconut trees, or half of Vietnam’s coconut-growing land.
They produce 800 million coconuts and ship about 200 million VND worth ofcoconut products abroad annually.
Ben Tre’s coconuts are exported to about 84 countries and territoriesworldwide. — VNS/VNA
Truyen has learned how to post photos and information about her products on theLazada website under a scheme to help businesses sell products via e-commerceplatforms.
At first, Truyen, 51, struggled to learn how to use a smartphone or computerbut she never felt discouraged. “We should try something new to be able toreach more customers,” she said.
She has confidence in the scheme as today people prefer buying products onlinedue to “fast shipping, affordable and reasonable prices”, she said.
Her shop is one of many small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) making coconut products in the province,known as the country’s “coconut capital”.
Coconut in Ben Tre has gained a reputation for high quality from local andforeign experts.
Products include food (cakes, candy, jelly, milk); cosmetics (oil, masks, lipbalm, essential oil, shampoo, mosquito repellent); handicrafts (coconut shells,spoon sets, tea sets) and products for the industrial sector (activated carbonfrom coconut shells, coconut fiber), among others.
Many businesses have become more aware of using technology to improveproductivity and quality. However, most coconut enterprises in Ben Tre find ithard to increase sales via traditional selling.
Le Thi Hue My, owner of Yes Coco, a company that produces handicrafts, in Hữu ĐịnhCommune in Chau Thanh District, said that previously most businesses sold theirproducts via traders at much lower prices.
“Cheap products with unstable revenue have caused obstacles for farmers,” shesaid.
Last month, nearly 50 representatives from businesses that make coconutproducts in Ben Tre took part in the seminar “Bringing E-commerce to theCountryside – Ben Tre Online Coconut Village”.
The workshop was organised by the Vietnam E-commerce Association, VECOM, andLazada Vietnam in collaboration with Ben Tre Department of Industry and Trade.
Nguyen Ngoc Dung, vice chairman of VECOM, said that farmers and small businesshouseholds in rural areas lacked information and skills needed to bring theirproducts to market.
The workshop provided knowledge for producers of speciality coconut goods inrural villages to reach consumers in the fastest way.
“E-commerce will help crafts villages expand their businesses, save marketingcosts, and increase product value,” he said.
This is one of Lazada’s key projects in its plan to build a sustainablee-commerce ecosystem by 2030.
Yes Coco enterprise was among the first beneficiaries to receive support fromthe project. Many of the company’s coconut tree products such as dining roomappliances, pots for plants, handbags and greeting cards have become popular.
Businesses participating in the project can open free online booths withoutcommission fees paid to the Lazada platform. Enterprises are also provided withmanagement tools such as inventory and sales management.
Ben Tre province is home to 163,000 households involved in farming 71,000 ha ofcoconut trees, or half of Vietnam’s coconut-growing land.
They produce 800 million coconuts and ship about 200 million VND worth ofcoconut products abroad annually.
Ben Tre’s coconuts are exported to about 84 countries and territoriesworldwide. — VNS/VNA
VNA
