"Support" from the post office
With the preferential treatment of nature with its unique climate, high temperature difference between day and night, and good soil, it has created a unique flavor of Dien Bien agricultural products.
However, the output problem is always a real concern when geographical distance makes logistics costs high, making it difficult to compete for prices.
In that context, cyberspace is considered the key for Dien Bien agricultural products to break geographical barriers and reach customers nationwide.
Now, many farming households in Dien Bien have begun to get used to " taking care" of their virtual stalls on the buudien.vn e-commerce platform.
From 2021 to present, dozens of OCOP products of the province have appeared on the buudien.vn platform - a platform operated by Vietnam Post Corporation.
Names such as Muong Ang coffee, Sen Cu rice, wild honey, turmeric starch, cross-fried ham, mac Khen or dried bamboo shoots... appeared one after another with eye-catching images, transparent information, ready to reach consumers nationwide.
According to Mr. Le Anh Dung - Deputy Director of Dien Bien Provincial Post Office, bringing agricultural products to the e-commerce platform is an important step to help farmers change their production thinking, access modern markets and develop sustainably.
"We are determined to not only help people consume products but also support them to build their brands and tell stories about their products to reach consumer emotions more effectively" - Mr. Le Anh Dung said.
When posting, each product must have sharp images, detailed information and especially an origin traceability QR Code. When scanning this code, customers can clearly understand the production process, grower information, VietGAP or OCOP certificates.
This transparency is the "passport" that helps Dien Bien agricultural products build trust in consumers.
Mr. Ha Chi Hieu - Business Center (Dien Bien Provincial Post Office) said: "In addition to technical support, we also handle the direction in each stage of operation. The support unit provides free photos, writing introduction content, and instructions for use.
The Post Office even packages and collects goods on site for arising orders, helping sellers conveniently and buyers feel secure".
Accordingly, from October 2021 to present, more than 20 agricultural production households have been supported to register accounts, bringing more than 40 key products to the buudien.vn platform.
When OCOP products " take off"
In Muong Ang commune - the coffee capital of Dien Bien, Ha Chung coffee processing facility used to sell coffee mainly in the province through dealer channels. But since combining OCOP brand building with digital transformation, the direction has changed.
Ms. Bui Thi Viet Ha - owner of Ha Chung coffee processing facility said: "Since focusing on promotion at trade promotion conferences, boosting image on social networks and putting it on e-commerce platforms, orders have increased significantly. The number of customers in the southern and central provinces is also higher".
Currently, Ha Chung facility has 3 product lines recognized as meeting OCOP standards, including: Whole powder coffee made with phin (4 stars), Arabica coffee with phin paper and Arabica salt coffee (3 stars).
However, the road to becoming a "digital constant" for farmers in the highlands is not only full of roses.
Talking to reporters, Ms. Lo Thi Le (28 years old, Muong Tung commune) - one of the pioneers of bringing agricultural products to the online market admitted the great benefits of the ability to access a huge market without spending on premises.
" Products made in villages and communes are promoted much faster and more widely than just relying on traditional sales," said Ms. Le.
Ms. Le believes that the costs payable to e-commerce platforms can account for 14-16% for each successful order.
However, she still sticks to it because this is an inevitable trend. "The floor's policies are constantly changing and must be constantly updated. Although the cost is high and the risks are high, online sales are often cheaper than direct sales, consumers benefit and sellers have more time to take the initiative" - Ms. Le said.
Mr. Pham Van Thai (Muong Thanh ward) - who has experience in bringing agricultural products to the e-commerce platform, affirmed that the potential of Dien Bien is extremely large.
However, the inherent difficulty is that the on-site consumption market is still limited. According to Mr. Thai, to get rich from agricultural products, it is mandatory to send goods far away, especially to e-commerce platforms, but farmers do not know how to do it and have not been able to access it.
Mr. Thai also expressed his hope that authorities at all levels would support the organization of festivals and periodic agricultural product markets, so that people have the opportunity to exchange and learn. In addition, open training courses, foster knowledge about e-commerce.
Breakthrough from Livestream sessions
Not only stopping at selling on the platform (static), Dien Bien people are catching up very quickly with the trend of "interactive e-commerce" - that is, Livestream sales.
Recently (December 6), a large-scale livestream of agricultural products lasting 5 hours (from 10-15am) was held in Dien Bien Phu ward. The event gathered famous KOLs ( influential people) of Dien Bien.
At the live session, a series of specialties such as dried sticky rice corn, dong vermicelli, butcher's meat, Sen Muong Lay Khau cake... were introduced intuitively and vividly to thousands of online viewers.
Mr. Nguyen Nam Khanh (Dien Bien Lang Thang canal) said: "We aim to expand the consumption market, increase the recognition of Dien Bien agricultural product brand and connect to support cooperatives, businesses, and production households in online sales activities.
At the same time, we hope to introduce truly quality products of Dien Bien people at the most preferential prices... to better promote the image and quality of local agricultural products".
After many hours of continuous broadcasting, the livestream session reached 125.6k people, nearly 2,000 views on products and 192 orders of Dien Bien agricultural products were sold.
Although the number is not huge compared to the "war god" livestreaming in big cities, for agricultural products in the highlands, this is an optimistic signal showing the right direction in diversifying consumption channels.
Policy from the province
Previously, the People's Committee of Dien Bien province signed and issued a plan for the development of e-commerce in Dien Bien province for the period 2026-2030, with a total implementation cost of 10 billion VND (from the central budget, provincial budget and socialized sources).
Accordingly, the province sets ambitious goals such as: the proportion of the adult population participating in online shopping reaches 66%; e-commerce retail sales grow by 20%/year; 100% of transactions on e-commerce platforms have electronic invoices; 60% of small and medium-sized enterprises conduct business activities on e-commerce platforms...
The plan also emphasizes the exploitation of the advantages of typical agricultural and forestry products such as rice, tea, coffee, macadamia... to develop e-commerce in regional linkages, narrowing the gap between urban and rural areas.
This plan will focus on key solutions such as: human resource training, supporting businesses with online business tools, building a chain of OCOP product stores on e-commerce platforms, enhancing communication so that people clearly understand the benefits of e-commerce...
The policy boost is necessary, but for Dien Bien agricultural products to truly "take off" on the e-commerce platform, it still requires synchronous efforts from the government and proactiveness, changing the thinking of each farmer.
