Interview with Ms. Nguyen Thi Man – Chairman of Management Board of Thanh Ha Vegetable and Wood Processing-Export Company.
What led you to founding a company to process vegetables and woods?
I was born in a family of farmers and used to work hard in the fields and witness the fact that farm products face difficulties in consumption, especially those capable of being preserved for only a short time. Even the revenue did not cover the cost of seeds and primary capital, excluding cultivating wages. From this understanding, together with some friends I founded the company using drying technology to lengthen the usable duration of vegetables, and supply plant varieties to help farmers lengthen their crop’s preservation time. The company faces a lot of difficulties because farm products are seasonable. However, we have tried to do it because it brings direct benefits for farmers who are our relatives.
What difficulties and advantages did you meet at the beginning of this business and accessing the market?
We faced many difficulties after founding the company and taking technology to the locality. Farm products are seasonable; each time there was a typical product with small, scattered quantity. This could not match the demands of industrial production. However, we have kept trying to make farmer’s products become market goods. Now, six months later, the company’s products have been accepted on the market.
At the ASEM 5 fair, our products were appreciated and that encouraged us to move on. Besides, thanks to the assistance of technology and methodology from the Vietnam – Ukraine Association of Science Research and Application in farm products and Institute of Post – harvest technology, the dry vegetable products have reached standards of longer preservation. So, our products are hygienic, safe (registered), dried by high technology with their original colour while taste is maintained without resorting to the use of artificial preservatives.
The preservation time is from 6 to 12 months. We know that quality and safety are the most important and consumers will test these criteria. Our products have been accepted on the market Currently, Thanh Ha dry products are present in 35 supermarket’s systems across the country with such products as: dry bananas, dry pineapples, carrots, cabbages, petioles of India, taro, kohlrabi, beet slices; galingale flour, saffron, citronella, ginger, flavouring powder (including ingredients of cinnamon, anise, sweet basil), garlic, etc.
What are the preparations for integration tendency?
We are fully prepared for integration. However, it depends on any new situations that arise from this process. Every enterprise faces difficulties. We guarantee our quality and believe that consumers will decide our survival.
Quynh Nga
Vietnamese
