In Malaysia, e-commerce giant Lazada has stepped in to connect farmers with willing consumers who are currently facing difficulties getting hold of adequate fresh produce in their neighborhood stores. The trigger for this initiative came after farmers in Cameron Highlands were forced to discard around 10,000 tonnes of their harvest due to logistical problems under the movement control order (MCO).
Wasting valuable food supply does not make good public relations for the government and could result in public backlash at a time when the people find it hard to get what they want.
Lazada’s new site (click here to make your purchase) offers different varieties of vegetables in a box. At RM 29, each box comes with different types of vegetables suitable for Asian stir fry or salad.
- 1. Baby Romaine 500g
- 2. Eggplants 500g
- 3. Cabbage 1kg
- 4. Tomatoes 1kg
- 5. Chili Red & Green 300g
- 6. Potato Leaves 500g
Quite a number of entities have launched their own e-stores selling vegetables during this period primarily through social media. But a number of them failed to take off because of logistical issue. Lazada is backed by strong distribution and logistics capability, which makes the project feasible.
The store will reopen on Monday (30 March 2020) at 10am to accept orders.
Getting consumers to buy fresh produce online has always been a key challenge for e-commerce operators. If the response is good, it will pave the way for Lazada to develop fresh produce as a new revenue source for the company.
