Workers load rice bags at a processing facility belonging to the HCM City Food Company in Binh Chanh District. Guangdong Province is a large market for Viet Nam's rice and agricultural products. — VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Hue

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh highlighted the importance of Guangdong Province as a large market for Viet Nam's rice and agricultural products as well as exports.

He said the province consumed 11.5 per cent of Viet Nam's total rice and grain exports to China.

He was speaking at a conference on Viet Nam-China rice and farm produce trade in Guangzhou City in China's Guangdong Province last week.

Anh said there should be closer co-operation between his ministry and Guangdong's government as well as food associations and businesses of both sides, in order to boost trade between Viet Nam and Guangdong, especially in rice and agricultural products.

Meanwhile, Guangdong Vice-Governor Zhao Yufang said there was room for co-operation between Viet Nam, a country with great advantages in agricultural production, and the more than 100-million-strong Guangdong Province, especially in rice trade.

She said the provincial government would continue to collaborate with Viet Nam's ministries of industry and trade, and agriculture and rural development in creating new playgrounds for business communities of both sides and enhancing bilateral trade ties.

During the conference, leaders of the Viet Nam Food Association briefed more than 100 leading Chinese agricultural firms about Viet Nam's rice production and export as well as competitiveness.

On his part, the head of the Guangdong Food Association spoke about the province's need for agricultural products, especially rice, and expressed willingness to set up an affiliation mechanism between the two associations and act as a bridge for business circles of both sides.

Earlier, Deputy Minister Anh had a working session with Guangdong Vice-Governor Zhao Yufang on measures to foster economic and trade partnership between Viet Nam and Guangdong.

Anh and the Vietnamese delegation also visited a number of major rice and agricultural product distribution facilities, storages and processing factories in Guangdong.

According to statistics from the Viet Nam General Department of Customs, last year, trade between Viet Nam and China reached US$58.7 billion, up 17.05 per cent over the previous year. As of May this year, the figure was $26 billion, a rise of 14.7 per cent over that of 2014.

At the same time, Guangzhou Customs' statistics show that in the first four months of this year, trade between Viet Nam and Guangdong hit $4.44 billion, an increase of 10.6 per cent year on year. — VNS