VietNamNet Bridge – An organic produce market called “Phien cho Xanh - Tu te” (Green-Nice Market Day), where consumers can buy directly from farmers, is held every Saturday and Sunday on the first and third week of the month in HCM City. Though prices are 10-15 percent higher than non-organic produce, the market does a brisk business.

Illustrative image -- File photo

Located on Pasteur Street in the city’s District 3, the market sells pesticide-free produce with a clear origin.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, of District 1, said she trusted the origin of the farm produce. “Although the appearance is not as attractive as non-organic produce, I feel it’s safer to use,” she said.  

Nguyen Dao, who sells vegetables with a clear origin, said the produce was in such high demand that it sold out by the end of the day.  

Farmers at the market take part in an organic agricultural programme which requires them to guarantee the quality of water and land used for farming, according to Mayu Ino from Seed to Table, a Japanese non-profit organisation promoting eco-agriculture and community development in Viet Nam.

The farmers’ market sells popular brands like Long Chau 66 rice from Co May Company and Ngoc Thach mushrooms and other specialties from craft villages in the Mekong Delta.

The Centre of Business Studies and Assistance in HCM City helped organise the market.

VNS