This modern approach helps directly connect products with consumers, reduce intermediary costs, and enhance the value and competitiveness of agricultural goods in the market.

Products like dried bamboo shoots, chẳm chéo (a local dipping sauce), wood ear mushrooms, and arrowroot vermicelli, all staples of highland communities, were once little known outside their regions. But thanks to promotion via social media and e-commerce platforms, Sùng Thị Bầu (23 years old) from Na Son commune has turned these items into best-selling products nationwide. Between 2023 and 2025, starting from a small family business, she sold approximately 1,200 tons of vermicelli through over one million orders on TikTok Shop, at prices ranging from VND 97,000-110,000 per kg, generating estimated revenue of over VND 100 billion (before expenses).

Sùng Thị Bầu shared: “At first, I only sold to friends and my husband’s acquaintances. But once I started livestreaming on TikTok and posting short videos, I saw growing interest and inquiries. Some days, after just a few hours online, hundreds of orders came flooding in.”

Thanks to her mindset shift and eagerness to learn, Bầu has successfully built a brand for local specialty products, bringing economic value to her family while creating jobs for many Mông ethnic women in the area.

Currently, small business households, enterprises, and cooperatives across the province are actively promoting agricultural products online, especially OCOP-certified items such as: Điện Biên rice, Tủa Chùa tea, Mường Ảng coffee, forest honey, and medicinal herbs. These are now available on platforms like Lazada, Postmart, Voso, Sendo, Shopee, Tiki, and TikTok, allowing for broader reach, added value, and more stable markets.

One example is the Hà Chung coffee processing facility in Mường Ảng commune, known for combining OCOP branding with digital transformation. The facility has three certified OCOP products: Traditional ground Arabica coffee (4 stars), drip bag Arabica coffee, and salted Arabica coffee (3 stars).

Bùi Việt Hà, the owner, said: “Previously, we mainly sold through local agents and regular customers within the province. Since we began focusing on promotion at trade fairs, on social platforms, and through e-commerce, order volume has increased significantly, especially from the Central and Southern regions.”

In the collective economic sector, many cooperatives in the province are also embracing digital transformation, upgrading production methods to increase productivity and market efficiency. Putting agricultural products on e-commerce platforms has helped cooperatives access broader markets more quickly. According to the provincial Cooperative Alliance, nearly 500 agricultural and forestry products have been listed on e-commerce platforms. Around 97% of businesses and cooperatives now file taxes electronically, an indication of the strong momentum in digitizing the collective economy.

Many cooperatives are also investing in facility upgrades, technology in production, processing, and packaging, while actively participating in digital marketplaces.

Lò Văn Pâng, Director of Hồng Phước Cooperative in Nà Tấu commune, noted: “E-commerce is opening up new directions for agricultural cooperatives like ours, helping us expand beyond local markets to reach national consumers. To support this transition, local authorities and the provincial Cooperative Alliance have organized training courses to enhance awareness and skills in digital tools, online sales, brand development, and product marketing.”

With flexibility, adaptability, and an understanding of market trends, putting products online not only solves distribution issues but also encourages producers to professionalize every stage, from cultivation and processing to packaging, traceability, and branding. As a market-oriented production mindset takes root, people shift from the passive “sell what we have” to a more strategic “produce according to orders and consumer demand.”

Despite these positive signs, e-commerce access in rural, highland, and ethnic minority areas still faces numerous challenges, such as limited technology skills, telecommunications and electricity infrastructure, and a general hesitation or unfamiliarity with digital environments. These issues are slowing the digital transformation of agriculture and creating inconsistencies.

To make e-commerce a true driver of sustainable agricultural development, strong coordination is needed from all levels of government and industry. This includes support in digital skills training, internet connectivity, product branding, and digital adoption at the grassroots level. Tailored workshops, consultations, and marketing connections should also be expanded to suit specific user groups.

Once local people understand and master digital tools, highland agricultural products will no longer be confined to small local markets, they can confidently reach larger national and even international platforms. That is the sustainable path for Điện Biên agriculture to integrate and build a unique identity in the digital age.