Viet Nam was one of the biggest farm produce export markets in the ASEAN bloc for China. — Photo vietq.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — China hopes that there will be more farm produce cooperation opportunities with Viet Nam as the two countries are both diverse in agricultural resources and their farm produce sectors complement each other.

Rong Wei Dong, Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA), expressed this hope at the China – Viet Nam Trade and Investment Matchmaking Meeting yesterday in Ha Noi.

The meeting aimed to create opportunities for enterprises from the two countries to boost cooperation and trade in the farm produce sector.

Viet Nam was one of the biggest farm produce export markets in the ASEAN bloc for China, said Rong.

Farm produce of China exported to Viet Nam hit US$2.4 billion in the first three quarters this year, a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent.

Statistics showed that Vietnamese agricultural exports fell by 4.9 per cent in the first three quarters.

Meanwhile, the country's rice, coffee, banana and pepper exports to China increased 19.4 per cent with a total export revenue of $4.3 billion.

China mainly exports apples, mandarins, and grapes to Viet Nam while Viet Nam exports mainly longans, litchis, banana and rice to China.

The president also highlighted that cross-border e-commerce development has created new cooperation opportunities as many orders on farm produce were traded successfully.

It is forecast that advantageous products of Viet Nam such as coffee will access the Chinese market easier through e-commerce, said Rong.

The president said that the association was willing to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to work and do business in China.

He also hoped there would be more such events to enhance understanding and cooperation between the enterprises of the two countries.

On the Vietnamese side, Truong Viet Dung, deputy director of the Ha Noi Trade Promotion Agency, said that the centre would boost cooperation with relevant agencies of China to hold investment promotion activities to provide economic information to enterprises in the upcoming time.

The centre would also continue to organise trade fairs to exchange and promote commodities and business meetings to study export demand of the two sides.

"We commit to create the best conditions for the two countries' enterprises and associations to join market research programmes," he added.

Dung expresses hope that Viet Nam-China cooperation in farm produce would harvest more success in the future, contributing to the increase of export revenue of the two sides.

Viet Nam urges control over banned substance in animal feed

Viet Nam was actively boycotting banned substances in animal feed, as well as "unsafe activities" in producing food, said Le Ba Lich, chairman of the Viet Nam Animal Feed Association.

As Viet Nam joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the country's agricultural sector would be much influenced, therefore, the country would focus on improving the quality of farm products.

In joining the TPP, the country's agricultural sector would have to face competitiveness in not only food safety but also price.

The sector would innovate technology and equipment to increase quality to accept competitiveness right in its homeland, Lich said.

Viet Nam would also tighten controls on animal feed smuggled through borders.

Lich expressed hope that his association would receive cooperation from the Chinese side to tighten control on banned substances. — VNS