Ninh Thuan Province prioritizes handicraft trade promotion

The traditional pottery products of Bau Truc Village are one of the most successful examples of effective provincial trade promotion support in terms of development and market share.

Villagers in the southeastern province, concerned by the threat that their unique handicraft would disappear due to declining demand, began investing in improved designs several years ago. The Ninh Thuan Department of Industry and Trade then stepped in, introducing the village’s products at fairs inside and outside the province and arranging supply-demand connection conferences in order to expand markets for the unique products. In addition, the department supported production facilities in order to expand the application of advanced machinery and equipment, improve quality and diversify product models.

Bau Truc pottery is just one of the traditional handicraft products supported by the Ninh Thuan Department of Industry and Trade. The province also engages in trade promotion of products from the My Nghiep and Chung My brocade weaving villages and of processed products from grapes and seafood.

The Ninh Thuan Department of Industry and Trade helps enterprises seek markets for traditional handicraft products

Limited markets, production capacity

However, according to a representative of the Ninh Thuan Department of Industry and Trade, the handicraft market is not stable. Moreover, in addition to limited funding, the support activities have not been regular and continuous, and were often unable to meet business and production needs. The result has been uneven product quality and high prices, affecting market competitiveness. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that 90 percent of the local handicraft business consists of small-scale production households with outdated machinery and limited capital.

In order to overcome these limitations, the department is mobilizing capital for priority industry promotion programs, such as helping industry and handicraft enterprises introduce and advertise their products, finding markets through the rural industrial goods fairs program and holding supply-demand conference. At the same time, the department also helps the province’s key enterprises explore foreign markets, undertake product branding and consult on application of appropriate technologies and equipment to improve production capacity and maximize business efficiency.