One example is the success of putting agricultural products including lychee and longan from Bac Giang, Hai Duong, and Hung Yen provinces on e-commerce platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Despite the significant restriction of trade activities due to epidemic prevention measures, thousands of tons of lychee, longan, and many other agricultural products such as eggs and chickenswere sold online.
Through e-commerce platforms, consumers can buy agricultural products directly without an intermediary and farmers receive more profit. Mr. Bùi Xuân Tám, Director of Lễ Châu Longan Cooperative in Hung Yen Province and Ms. Lương Thị Kiểm, head of the Hải Dương Sub-Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, said:
- “Farmers whose agricultural products can access to the e-commerce platform, can sell online and get paid faster. Consumers can receive products quickly with reasonable prices. It’s convenient for both sides.”
- “E-commerce helps solve many problems. Consumers can stay at home buying goods through online platforms via a smartphone or a computer. Farmers harvest agricultural products and a third party comes and buys. It’s the best option, especially when an epidemic occurs.”

Agricultural products being sold on an e-commerce platform. — VNS Photo

Up to now, there have been more than 170,000 agricultural production households participating in e-commerce platforms, which is a sharp increase compared to previous periods. It is worth mentioning that more and more households realize the value and benefits of e-commerce as an inevitable trend in the 4th industrial revolution. Participating e-commerce platforms helps farmers change their mindsets, accelerating digitalization of agricultural production step by step to adapt to the market and get higher economic value. Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thế, Head of the Miền Thiết Longan Cooperative of Khoái Châu, Hưng Yên, said: “I think farmers only need short training courses to join e-commerce platforms. Selling products online is a basic solution with or without pandemics. In the coming time, it is necessary to promote trade in agricultural products on the e-commerce platforms, especially now that we have entered the 4.0 Industrial Revolution.”

The Trade Promotion Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade is actively coordinating with relevant agencies to push selling agricultural products on the e-commerce platforms, in line with current trends. Mr. Vu Ba Phu, General Director of the Department of Trade Promotion said: “In the past, Vietnamese agricultural products were mainly consumed through traditional distribution channels such as markets. However, with e-commerce becoming an inevitable trend in the 4.0 era, this channel will be chosen as an official, stable, and sustainable distribution channel for agricultural product consumption. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and related agencies are working closely to support farmers to consume their products effectively.”
Over the past 2 years, Bac Giang’stotal lycheeconsumption increased steadily while selling prices remained stable. Lychee exports account for a large proportion of total consumption. Lychee is mainly exported to the traditional markets of China, the European Union (EU), the US, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.
In 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Trade coordinated with Viettel Post to export more than 3 tons of Bac Giang lychee to Germany via the e-commerce platform Voso. This is the first time a Vietnamese agricultural product has been shipped to Europe through a cross-border e-commerce platform developed and operated by Vietnamese. Other agricultural products in several localities have been put on the e-commerce floor with positive outcomes. Major e-commerce platforms in Vietnam such as Sendo, Voso, Tiki, Postmart, Shopee and Lazada/Foodmap have accompanied Vietnamese farmers, bringing high efficiency compared to traditional distribution methods.
Currently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has cooperated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Information and Communications to organize programs supporting e-commerce training for Vietnamese exporters, and launching promotional campaigns both at home and abroad. The Ministry of Industry and Trade can connect businesses with Viettel Post to promote the distribution, customs, payment, and delivery to consumers in the importing countries. This is a premise for Vietnamese enterprises to export goods via cross-border e-commerce on the domestic e-commerce platform. This affirms the position of Vietnamese goods in Vietnam and in the world.
With farmer’s awareness about the importance of putting agricultural products on the e-commerce trading floor, with the effective support at many levels of the agricultural management agencies, Vietnamese agricultural products are increasing in both value and brand, effectively contributing to the socio-economic development of localities and the country.