No longer waiting for middlemen to show up at their orchards, many farmers in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta are now grabbing their smartphones, going live on TikTok and Facebook to sell coconuts, durians, and other produce straight from the garden. Within just a few hours of livestreaming, hundreds of orders are confirmed.
Going live from the fields
In a modest thatched hut on his three-hectare dragon fruit farm in Phong Hoa Commune, Dong Thap Province, farmer Nguyen Van Hieu switches on a ring light — not to ward off insects or boost plant growth, but to illuminate the screen of his smartphone as he livestreams to customers.
“Hello everyone, today I have ripe red-fleshed dragon fruit, straight from the tree, 18 degrees Brix sweetness, just VND25,000 a kilogram. Leave a comment if you’d like to order — we’ll pack and ship right to your door. Let me taste one on the spot so you can see…,” he said with a smile, taking a bite as his sunburned face lights up the screen.
In just 40 minutes, his broadcast draws hundreds of viewers and secures more than 70 orders. That night, Hieu’s entire family, with help from neighbors, stays up harvesting dragon fruits and boxing them for delivery. By dawn, a small truck departs for the courier depot with the first shipments.
“Before, traders came to the orchard and offered only VND10,000–12,000 per kilogram — we couldn’t argue. Now, through livestreaming, I sell for nearly double, and it’s still affordable for urban consumers,” Hieu explained.
It’s not just dragon fruit. A growing range of produce and ornamental plants from the Mekong Delta are reaching consumers directly via smartphones. In Cho Lach Commune, Vinh Long Province, Tang Thi Cam Nhung had long struggled to sell her bonsai yellow apricot trees, which traditionally moved only around Lunar New Year. But after launching her own channel, “Mai Vang Hoang Long,” she began livestreaming product showcases.
“Thanks to social media, I can sell directly to customers at better prices while building a brand for our homegrown bonsai. Sales now run year-round, and each month I ship nearly 10,000 trees to clients nationwide,” Nhung said.
According to Mr. Tran Huu Nghi, Vice Chairman of Cho Lach Commune People’s Committee, nearly a quarter of ornamental flower growers in the area have embraced online sales.
“We’ve partnered with YouTubers and TikTokers to hold training sessions on livestreaming and customer engagement. At first, many farmers were hesitant, but now they’re confident and skilled. Today, growers can stand right in their fields, tending plants while introducing their products to customers across and beyond the province. Digital tools have become a new trend, helping farmers reduce dependence on traders and increase product value,” Mr. Tran Huu Nghi noted.
A digital shift in agriculture
Le Nguyen My Huyen, known online as “Huyen Phi” on TikTok, comes from a family of fruit traders in Vinh Long. Growing up, she saw her parents and neighbors trapped in the cycle of “bumper crops, falling prices,” sometimes forced to sell entire orchards at a loss. That experience pushed her to find a new way to stabilize farm incomes.
She started by posting short clips about orchards and how to pick good fruit, though early videos drew only a handful of views. Undeterred, she studied how to build an online channel, honed her on-camera presence, and developed a warm, down-to-earth style. Gradually, her livestreams attracted a growing following.
The breakthrough came during the “Rising Vinh Long's Agricultural Products Week” held in Ho Chi Minh City, where in just four hours of livestreaming, she sold more than 1,000 orders. Beyond her own sales, she now helps local farmers host livestreams, sharing lessons on branding and digital marketing.
As part of the event, the Vinh Long Department of Industry and Trade teamed up with popular TikTokers to host livestreams directly at the booths. During one session, pomelo farmer Le Van Thanh from Dong Thanh Ward marveled: “In a single afternoon livestream with the TikTokers, I sold over four tons of pomelos. Normally, through traders, it would have taken me a whole week.”
According to Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Vinh Long Province, the week-long fair helped sell hundreds of tons of produce, including coconuts, green-skinned pomelos, and oranges.
“Livestreaming is just the first step. For long-term sustainability, farmers need to build strong brands, ensure traceability, and connect with cooperatives and enterprises,” Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan stressed. He added that the province will soon organize more training sessions on online selling skills — from camera angles and lighting setups to interactive techniques. At the same time, it will link farmers with reputable e-commerce platforms and continue working with TikTokers and YouTubers to provide digital skills training for farmers and cooperatives.
