Enhancing promotion and market connectivity for rural industrial goods

The 2025 Rural Industrial Products Exhibition and Fair, held in Hanoi from October 3 to 7, has attracted the participation of rural industrial enterprises nationwide. As an annual event hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the fair not only serves as a key platform to promote rural industrial products but also creates opportunities for enterprises to connect, cooperate, and form production and business supply chains.

Assessing the significance of the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang emphasized that the exhibition serves as an effective bridge, generating economic value and creating practical opportunities for enterprises to seek investment partnerships, expand markets, enhance competitiveness, and strengthen their brand presence both domestically and internationally.

Recognizing the pivotal role of rural industrial enterprises and production facilities in local socio-economic development, the Government has authorized the Ministry of Industry and Trade and provincial People’s Committees to implement a wide range of industrial promotion policies. These have proven effective in accompanying and assisting enterprises in expanding production and improving business performance.

According to Deputy Minister Thang, among the various components of industrial promotion, the recognition of exemplary rural industrial products and the implementation of trade promotion programs remain key annual priorities nationwide. These activities affirm the importance of industrial promotion as a vital mechanism that enables enterprises to increase production capacity, improve product quality, stimulate trade, and contribute to overall economic growth.

Over the past decade, more than 4,200 exemplary rural industrial products have been certified across all levels, including 800 at the national level. Through industrial promotion programs, over 80% of these recognized products have received support for technological innovation, advanced machinery application, technical demonstration models, and trade promotion.

“More than 70% of these products have now entered distribution channels and supply chains nationwide,” Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang noted.

Enterprises seek continued support for market expansion

At the exhibition, Nguyen Xuan Tung, Deputy Director of Binh Lieu Trading and Services JSC, shared that Binh Lieu vermicelli, a traditional specialty of Quang Ninh Province, has received multiple recognitions as an exemplary rural industrial product.

He said the company currently distributes mainly through traditional channels such as food stores and supermarket chains, while online sales via platforms like Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok account for only about 10% of total sales.

“Although vermicelli is widely produced in many provinces, Binh Lieu vermicelli continues to perform well, with steady annual growth,” Nguyen Xuan Tung said. “We maintain our signature small, soft, and chewy noodles suited to Vietnamese family meals, while also developing new products such as black tea vermicelli that combine traditional features with innovative flavors.”

The company aims to expand exports to China, a large but demanding market with strong consumer demand for vermicelli products. “We hope to receive further support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade in export promotion, particularly to the Chinese market, which offers significant potential given the geographical proximity and shared culinary culture,” Nguyen Xuan Tung added.

Another major brand, Khai Hoan Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Company from An Giang Province, which has also received multiple rural industrial product recognitions, expressed concern about the limited domestic market share of traditional fish sauce.

According to Nguyen Van Cuong, Sales Manager at the company, many consumers still confuse fish sauce with dipping sauce, though they are entirely different products. “People often assume fish sauce, made from fish and salt, is overly salty. In reality, with modern production techniques, the salt content has been refined while preserving the authentic flavor”, Nguyen Van Cuong explained.

He noted that as consumers increasingly prioritize safe, health-conscious food, demand for traditional fish sauce has been growing, particularly among urban and middle-income groups. However, awareness in rural areas remains limited.

To expand its reach, the company has been diversifying its distribution channels, including supermarkets, clean food stores, minimarts, wholesale and retail systems, and e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Facebook. “Although online sales remain modest, they represent a promising avenue for growth,” Nguyen Van Cuong said. The company also continues to export its products to the United States and Europe.

“For Khai Hoan and traditional fish sauce producers in general to secure a firm foothold in the domestic market, we hope to receive continued support to participate in trade promotion programs both at home and abroad,” Nguyen Van Cuong said.

Expanding and strengthening market presence remains a challenging task for rural industrial products. Through a variety of targeted programs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has provided effective support for enterprises in both production development and market expansion.

Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang emphasized that to fully realize these outcomes, enterprises must continue to focus on maintaining product development while ensuring compliance with market, technical, aesthetic, cultural, and environmental standards. She also called on enterprises to take advantage of Vietnam’s free trade agreements, diversify their products, and participate more deeply in global supply chains, enhancing competitiveness and sustaining long-term growth.