In some wards in the central area of Ho Chi Minh City, on weekend mornings, points supplying clean agricultural products become bustling markets. Vegetables and tubers harvested from gardens in the suburbs are brought to the city by businesses and sold out quickly.
Weekend clean veggie markets draw crowds in HCMC
On weekends, the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association organizes the sale of clean vegetables in Phu Nhuan Ward. On Saturdays, sales start at 7 a.m. at Alley 489, Huynh Van Banh Street. On Sundays, sales are in front of Son Ca 14 Kindergarten, 235 Le Van Si Street. This is a popular spot for housewives, and the vegetables are always sold out.
Regularly buying vegetables at Son Ca 14 Kindergarten, Ms. Diep Thao shared: "This selling point has many types of vegetables, and the prices are reasonable. Sometimes, if you buy 4 bunches of vegetables, you get an extra bunch for free. The cooperatives sell vegetables through the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association, so we feel very confident using them."
Starting from these locations, the model of selling clean vegetables organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association in coordination with cooperatives has expanded to many other places. On the morning of April 11, a clean vegetable selling point was launched at the A2 apartment complex park, Phan Xich Long Street in Cau Kieu Ward - a point supplying clean agricultural products organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association in coordination with the Food Safety Department, the Ho Chi Minh City Chemistry Association, the Ho Chi Minh City Billionaire Farmers' Association, and the Cau Kieu Ward People's Committee. The vegetables delivered sold out quickly.
Director Nguyen Viet Tu of Chau Pha Agricultural and Service Cooperative from Chau Pha Commune, the main supplier of vegetables and tubers at the vegetable market in Cau Kieu Ward, said that the cooperative's vegetable supply is quite diverse, mainly familiar leafy vegetables in family meals such as bok choy, Chinese cabbage, sweet cabbage, jute mallow, and water spinach.
All vegetables are sold at a flat price of VND15,000 per bundle (approximately 400 grams), with a buy-four-bundle-get-one-free offer. The first week only saw leafy greens, but subsequent weeks will see the addition of cucumbers, bitter melon, and gourds. "Buyers choose vegetables not only visually but also with trust. Many customers stop to ask detailed questions about where they were grown, how they were harvested, and the harvest time," Mr. Tu said.
Saigon Co.op connects clean farm produce to shoppers
Saigon Co.op, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association, has launched the Dong hanh cung nong san sach (Accompanying Clean Agricultural Products) program. Accordingly, clean agricultural products from cooperatives and farmers meeting VietGAP, organic, and OCOP standards are being directly introduced at Co.opmart Foocosa Quang Trung in Thong Tay Hoi Ward at competitive prices.
Mr. Duong Minh Quang, Deputy General Director of Saigon Co.op, stated that in the initial phase, the company will organize points of sale for safe agricultural products within the Co.opmart supermarket system in Ho Chi Minh City. In the future, this model will be expanded to other sales points throughout the system. Agricultural products placed on supermarket shelves are based on recommendations from the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association and undergo a rigorous quality control process according to retail system standards, applying a multi-tiered monitoring mechanism to ensure consumer safety.
Director Nguyen Hong Quyet of Kim Long High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative in Phu Giao Commune said that Kim Long Cooperative specializes in growing cantaloupe, regularly supplying agricultural products to supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as providing clean vegetables at Co.opmart Foocosa Quang Trung and other clean vegetable selling points on weekends.
Being the Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Billionaire Farmers' Association, Mr. Quyet affirmed that the demand for food safety, public health, and the quality of meals for city residents is becoming increasingly urgent. Programs organized by the association, such as Dong hanh cung nong san sach (Accompanying Clean Agricultural Products) and Diem cung ung nong san an toan (Safe Agricultural Product Supply Points) not only support consumers in accessing safe products but also create stable outlets, allowing farmers and cooperatives to produce with peace of mind and increase the value of agricultural products.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City and Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association, emphasized that in recent times, the Ho Chi Minh City Farmers' Association at all levels has intensified propaganda on food safety, mobilizing members to produce according to safe, traceable processes linked to stable consumption; thereby gradually forming linkages from production to consumption.
The city currently organizes five outlets for clean vegetables on weekends in Phu Nhuan, Go Vap, Cau Kieu, and Thong Tay Hoi wards, with plans to expand further. The program Dong hanh cung nong san sach (Accompanying Clean Agricultural Products in Ho Chi Minh City in the 2025–2030 period) is designed to give urban residents access to safe, traceable agricultural products at affordable prices, while building a stable and sustainable consumption channel for farmers and cooperatives.
