VietNamNet Bridge - Chinese farm produce brought to Vietnam across the border gates and labeled as Vietnamese goods have caused heavy losses to domestically made products.

“Stopping the merchants’ behaviors of selling Chinese potatoes as Da Lat potatoes, prohibiting the import of Chinese potatoes to wholesale markets in Da Lat in order to stop the counterfeiting of Da Lat potatoes” were the major points listed in Document 5827 signed by Da Lat City’s Mayor Vo Ngoc Hiep. 

The decision was released after the local authorities found that local merchants mixed Chinese potatoes with Da Lat potatoes to sell to retailers and consumers for higher profits.

In order to turn Chinese potatoes into Da Lat potatoes, merchants applied Chinese potatoes with red soil to create a color typical for Da Lat’s potatoes.

A kilo of Chinese potatoes now has the import price of VND1,800-2,000 per kilo. However, if they are labeled as Da Lat potatoes, the price could be 5-7 times higher. 

The merchants’ trade fraud has raised public anger. Vietnamese housewives tend to refuse Chinese products, especially food, for fear that Chinese products contain toxic substances. 

According to Da Lat authorities, there are 75 business households at the Da Lat Wholesale Farm Produce Market, including 24 households trading potatoes.  Nearly 100 percent of households have imported Chinese potatoes for sale as there is a shortage of Da Lat potatoes and the price has risen.

Chinese tomatoes and other fruits have also been selling under the disguise of being  fruit from Da Lat.

Nguyen Van Tin, deputy head of the Da Lat City People’s Committee Business Division, stressed that the issuance of the document was necessary to protect Da Lat’s farm produce.

Hoang Loi, chief secretariat of the Da Lat City People’s Committee, affirmed that the Da Lat Farm Produce Wholesale Market was set up to help boost the sales of locally developed farm produce; therefore, it must not be the place for Chinese produce to penetrate.

Da Lat’s decision has been applauded by people who believe that now is the right time to take drastic measures to protect Vietnamese farm produce brands and authentic farmers.

However, an analyst commented that there were still many things to be done to ‘protect Vietnamese farm produce brands’, while Da Lat’s move alone will not help.

“Chinese potatoes are not allowed to enter the market, but they still can be brought to other markets in the districts of Duc Trong, Don Duong and the suburbs of Da Lat,” he warned.

PLVN