HCM CITY — The first International Exhibition & Conference for Horticultural and Floricultural Production and Processing Technology (Hortex Vietnam) and the first International Trade Show on Agricultural Machinery, Equipment and Technologies (Agri Machinery & Tech Vietnam) opened on March 14 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The two exhibitions have attracted more than 100 exhibitors from 20 countries and territories showcasing a wide range of agricultural machinery and equipment; technologies for vegetable, flower and fruits industries; equipment for cultivation, post-harvest and processing of fresh vegetables; and flowers, ornamental plants, plant nutrition, and garden and landscape architecture, among others.

Organised by the Minh Vi Exhibition and Advertisement Service Co., Ltd and the Netherlands’ Nova Exhibitions BV, the exhibitions will include professional seminars and a business-to-business matching programme.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, director of the Crop Production Department, said the country’s fruits and vegetables exports enjoyed an average growth rate of 32.7 per cent in the 2011-16 period to reach US$3.55 billion last year.

Việt Nam’s horticultural and floricultural sectors have potential to develop further, but they have encountered challenges due to the limitation in use of advanced production and post-harvest technologies.

The expos provide an ideal platform for Vietnamese farmers and businesses in the horticultural and floricultural sector to approach new production technologies, especially in processing, Sơn said.

In addition, domestic and international firms can exchange information and explore business opportunities as well as expand markets to enable Việt Nam to become one of the world’s largest export countries of flowers, fruits and vegetables, he said.

Animal breeding equipment on display at ILDEX Vietnam 2018, which is being held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre from March 14-16. — VNS Photo Xuân Hươn

Another exhibition -- ILDEX Vietnam -- an International Livestock, Dairy, Meat Processing and Aquaculture Exposition, also opened in HCM City yesterday, featuring the latest machinery, technologies and business solutions for livestock breeding, dairy and aquaculture industries, feed and feed ingredients, animal health and pharmaceutical products, and others.

The expo features nearly 250 exhibitors from 30 countries and territories, with six national pavilions set up by France, the US, South Korea, the Netherlands, China, and the Czech Republic.

Nino Gruettke, managing director of VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd, one of the event’s organisers, said this year’s event is the largest ever and nearly 50 per cent bigger than the previous one held in 2016.

There has been a strong increase in the number of foreign exhibitors, accounting for 72 per cent of the total displaying scale.

The increased participation by foreign exhibitors shows their interest in the country’s livestock industry, he said.

Hoàng Thanh Vân, director general of the Livestock Production Department, said: “Over the past decade, ILDEX Vietnam has greatly contributed to the development of the livestock and aquaculture industries in Việt Nam and become an important platform for promoting trade and transferring technology and knowledge.”

The three exhibitions will be held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7 until March 16.  — VNS