MM Mega Market Vietnam promotes domestic agri-products via Big C Thailand

The key product in the first batch was dragon fruit

The batch comprised of yellow sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, dragon fruits, dried fruits, and rice paper.

This is the outcome of joint efforts by the Thai-backed company and local farmers in diverse southern and Central Highlands locations, such as Binh Thuan and Lam Dong province, to source products meeting the quality requirements of business partners.

“As soon as we got the export license, we moved quickly to understand the needs of our business partners in Thailand and look for domestic goods with a competitive edge that we can supply,” said MM Mega Market Vietnam managing director Phidsanu Pongwatana.

“This does not only offer a richly diversified and competitive source of supply to the Big C system in Thailand, but can also help Vietnamese farmers to take their quality agricultural products to other countries in the region,” he added.

In addition to the key product dragon fruit, this first-ever 100-tonne export also packs more than 45 tonnes of sweet potatoes.

As Vietnamese agri-products have unique advantages, especially sweet potatoes which offer reliable output, qualification for safety standards in production, and high quality, this line of product is likely to see large volumes and long-end orders going forward.

With airtight sourcing and quality testing procedures in place, MM not only works with the farmers on production standards, specifications, and quality, but also has control over hygiene, packaging, and transportation in order to offer consumers products with the highest possible quality and build a reputation for Vietnamese agri-products.

“In addition to stable orders of more than 100 tonnes a month, we are working on exporting an estimated 50 tonnes of frozen catfish filet a month. Through the 700-plus mall and supermarket distribution channel of Big C, I am confident that Vietnam’s exports prospects look great,” said Pongwatana.

At this point, MM Mega Market Vietnam’s export strategy is built on a solid groundwork by virtue of a professional platform and direct interaction with farmers to create a quality and diverse source of supply.

The company is running three platforms—the Da Lat-based Fruit and Vegetable Platform, the Fish Platform in Can Tho, and the Pork Platform in Dong Nai—and soon will open a Fruit Platform in Ben Tre.

These facilities not only supply the domestic 19-store distribution system, but also play a role in providing quality products for exports.

Besides export, MM also acts as an interface for technical assistance and market research for local exporters to reach the Thai market. MM had supported the export of more than 1,200 tonnes of dragon fruit and several other agri-products in 2017.