Digital platforms expand market access for Vietnamese farm products

Digital platforms are creating new market access channels for Vietnamese agricultural products, improving transparency, strengthening consumer confidence, and supporting the agricultural sector’s shift from a production-focused approach to one centered on value creation.

At a working session between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and TikTok Vietnam on May 28, Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung said the growth of digital platforms is opening new pathways for Vietnamese agricultural products to reach consumers while enhancing transparency and trust.

Digital tools reshape agricultural marketing

According to Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung, one of the agriculture sector’s longstanding challenges has not only been production but also market connectivity for farmers and local producers. As digital transformation accelerates, technology platforms are reshaping how agricultural products reach consumers.

The Deputy Minister said farmers had traditionally relied on traders and conventional distribution channels. With the development of digital platforms, however, producers now have increasing opportunities to introduce their products directly to customers through videos, livestreaming and e-commerce activities.

“Farmers can now tell the story of their products directly, from raw material areas and production processes to preparation methods. This helps consumers better understand and trust the products, creating greater value for agricultural goods,” he said.

According to the Deputy Minister, the most significant contribution of digital platforms is not merely increased sales revenue but also their ability to build market trust. Greater transparency in production processes, product traceability, and direct engagement with consumers are helping many local agricultural products improve their competitiveness.

Speaking about the sector’s future direction, Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung said Vietnamese agriculture is undergoing a major shift from a focus on maximizing output to creating greater value. Agricultural value, he said, extends beyond physical products to include cultural, ecological, experiential and rural tourism dimensions.

The Deputy Minister added that although Viet Nam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports have reached approximately US$70 billion, the sector still holds significant growth potential if digital technologies and the platform economy are effectively utilized.

“Agriculture today is not only about food production. It is also about culture, the environment, regional identity and the quality of life in rural areas,” he said.

Advancing rural digital transformation

While acknowledging the positive role of digital platforms, Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung urged TikTok Vietnam to strengthen its social responsibility by ensuring that information shared on the platform is accurate and objective, and by avoiding content trends that could create misunderstandings or negatively affect the image of Vietnamese agricultural products.

At the meeting, Nguyen Lam Thanh, General Director of TikTok Vietnam, said the company began expanding its e-commerce operations in Viet Nam in 2022. He noted that the platform is not merely a sales channel but also a space where communities can share stories, exchange knowledge and connect values.

TikTok currently has around 70 million monthly users in Viet Nam, including approximately 45 million who have made purchases through the platform. Its e-commerce ecosystem records an estimated 7–8 million orders each day, involving hundreds of thousands of businesses, brands and content creators.

According to Nguyen Lam Thanh, agricultural products and local specialties have become among the fastest-growing product categories on digital platforms, particularly following the broader implementation of products participating in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program.

He said that when cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment began, awareness of OCOP products in the digital space was still limited. After roughly two years, however, OCOP-related content on the platform has attracted nearly two billion views, helping raise awareness of local products and improve consumer perceptions of them.

“Many producers are now actively exploring OCOP because they recognize that it is not only a quality certification but also an advantage in reaching customers through digital platforms,” he said.

In the coming period, TikTok Vietnam plans to launch a program aimed at building a digital presence for localities to promote culture, tourism, traditional craft villages and signature local products online.

According to company representatives, the initiative seeks to develop “digital locality” branding and support communes and wards in promoting e-commerce, community-based tourism and local communications through dedicated hashtag campaigns. The first pilot project was implemented in Thai Nguyen Province, where the “Thai Nguyen tea” campaign generated more than 30,000 videos within a year.

Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center (Agritrade), said expanding cooperation with TikTok would not only support agricultural product marketing but also help disseminate official information in the agriculture and environment sectors.

According to Director Nguyen Minh Tien, as social media platforms increasingly feature unverified information, cooperation with content creators to deliver accurate and reliable information can help the public access trustworthy sources while fostering a more positive communications environment for the agricultural sector.

Cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and TikTok Vietnam is expected to contribute to rural digital transformation, expand market access for agricultural products, and provide additional momentum for the development of a modern, multi-value agricultural economy.