Linkages in production and distribution of exported vegetables: perspectives of farmers and firms in Luc Nam District, Bac Giang Province, Vietnam.

内容摘要

The paper aims to show the positive effects that the current linkages models between vegetables producers and processed vegetable export companies in Luc Nam District, Bac Giang Province, Vietnam have brought to the participants, as well as discuss the obstacles and challenges that prevent the expansion and development of these linkage models in order to promote the linkages process in Bac Giang Province. A random survey was conducted on 50 households in the study area which specialize in cultivating the fruits and vegetables for the processed vegetable export companies. Up to 62% of the households do not participate in linkages, while the member households got higher and more stable incomes than non-member households, with a remarkable increase in profit of companies after joining the linkages. However, there are still some obstacles which prevent farmers to participate in the linkages. These include the small and scattered planted areas, the high requirements and initial investment, which makes some households maintain a risk-averse attitude, the informal information relating to lower collecting price, and the delay in payment of processed vegetable export companies in the previous unsuccessful linkages, which are still retained in farmers’ minds. Based on the opinions of farmers about the benefits that linkages brought to them and challenges that they are facing in the current linkages, as well the companies‘opinions about the state of current linkages models, some solutions in can be implemented to expand and strengthen the current linkage models in order to attract more farmers and companies to participate. These include (i) development of vegetable processing zones; (ii) participating in the Enterprise Association of Food Processing; (iii) coordination with input production suppliers; (iv) providing production techniques and vegetable markets information to producers; (v) sharing benefits with local authorities; (vi) sharing benefits and risks, rights and obligations should be mentioned clearly in contracts and (vii) support from the government.