January 4, 2012

In order to boost 2012 exports of agricultural products to China, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to build a programme, local news reported Tuesday (Jan 3).

China is a promising market for Vietnam-sourced farm produce, and the ministry needs to build specific plan to tap the country's potentials, Nhan said.

Vietnam-sourced farm produce is at high demand in Chinese market, especially during cold winter the demand for fresh vegetables is very big, said Le Thi Thanh Nhan, director of Vietnam's northern province of Lang Son's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

However, Vietnam has to build storehouses and improve preservation technology for farm produce in order to keep the products from deterioration, Nhan added.

The MARD plans to build a promotion centres in Chinese provinces of Guangzhou and Sichuan to assist Vietnamese firm to get access to China's market, said Deputy Minister Diep Kinh Tan.

In 2011, Vietnam exported agricultural products worth nearly US$25 billion, including US$6.1 billion from seafood, US$4.1 billion from furniture and US$3.3 billion from rubber latex.