The 16th International Agricultural Trade Fair-AgroViet 2016- has opened in Ha Noi with a vow to provide prestigious safe agricultural products to consumers.

The fair was held to honour agricultural, forestry, aquatic and sea products, fine art handicraft articles of high quality and to present the new scientific and technical achievements and progress in agricultural production.

A series of other activities would also be held during the fair which runs through November 15 including seminars and forums on promoting investment co-operation, direct scientific and technical consultation, cultural and musical performing programmes, a presentation of characteristic cuisines of different regions and localities of Viet Nam.

Speaking at an opening ceremony on Friday, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, highlighted the achievements of the agriculture sector despite increasing challenges including those in the export markets and due to the impact of climate change.

Doanh said the sector had regained a strong growth momentum in the last three months with total export turnover of agricultural and forestry products reaching US$26.4 billion, an increase by 6.3 per cent over the same period of last year.

Thus, Doanh said, closely approaching the food safety targets, the fair this time was very important as it would help promote high quality domestic products to the world markets.

The deputy minister affirmed that this fair was also aimed at boosting the implementation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s instructions in strengthening the State and Government’s responsibility on food safety.

The trade fair – one of the most prestigious events of the agricultural sector of Viet Nam this year, has gathered more than 400 exhibition booths, including 300 domestic and international exhibitors who display their agricultural and special products from regions and localities, their newest and most advanced technologies and equipment for storage, and for food processing.

Phuong Anh, a local customer in Ha Noi’s Cau Giay District who visited the fair on Friday said she was impressed at many products displayed at the fair as they all contained adequate information on its labels particularly those which got a confirmation from hygienic authority as safe food products.

She hoped this kind of fair would be held more across the country so that customers would have chance to approach more safe food products.

AgroViet, an annual event of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), is considered as a bridge to connect companies with their partners and their consumers, according to the MARD. – VNS