The Vietnamese High-Quality Products Fair in HCM City early next month will have many new features, including a focus on introducing “Vietnamese High-Quality Products-Global Integration Standard” (GIS) certified products and others under the city’s food safety chain model.

Speaking at a press briefing in HCM City on March 27, Vu Kim Hanh, chairwoman of the Vietnamese High Quality Product Business Association, its organiser, said the fair would have 600 booths set up by 300 exhibitors.

Visitors can see “a strange garden” where they can see and touch quaint products made from Ben Tre Province’s coconut trees and fruits and grapefruits, which have been granted geographical indication certificates by the Ministry of Science and Technology, she said.

The fair would have a “Green-Nice Market” where farms, co-operatives and start-up firms showcase farm produce grown to safe or organic standards, she said.

The fair this year would also showcase activities to help local businesses further penetrate the global market through the association’s GIS project and a co-operation programme between the association and Saigon Innovation Hub, she said.

There will also be a promotion in which over 3,000 items will be sold at VND20,000 at 10-10.30am and 4-4.30pm daily, game shows, a cooking contest, and lucky draws with prizes of tours to Cambodia and destinations in Việt Nam.

For the first time the fair would be organised with the collaboration of the Food Safety Management Board of HCM City, and the two sides would organise an international seminar titled ‘Improving Quality Standards to Integrate into the Global Market’ on the sidelines of the fair, Hạnh said.

Sixty six Vietnamese food firms have obtained GIS certification, she added.

The fair will be held at the Phu Tho Stadium in District 11 from April 3 to 8 — VNS