Workers handle mango for export at the Hoàng Phát Fruit Co Ltd in Châu Thành District, Long An Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

LONG AN — Trade officials from Việt Nam’s northern border province of Lào Cai and Honghe county of the neighbouring Chinese province of Yunnan visited the Mekong Delta province of Long An on Sunday, seeking to form partnerships with local agricultural production, processing, and exporting companies.

The delegation from the Lào Cai Department of Industry and Trade and the Honghe commerce division made a fact-finding tour of some member businesses of the Long An Dragon Fruit Association in Châu Thành District, a rice processing firm in Thủ Thừa District, and a lime processing company in Bến Lức District.

Châu Thị Lệ, deputy director of the Long An Department of Industry and Trade, said her province is home to a wide range of agricultural products such as rice, dragon fruit, seedless lime, banana, and watermelon.

In 2021 and 2022, it exported about 646,250 tonnes of rice to 40 countries and territories, mainly China, Hong Kong (China), Singapore, and Malaysia. Last year, China purchased 36.35 per cent of Long An’s total exported rice volume.

The province cultivates more than 9,900ha of dragon fruit, producing 256,800 tonnes annually. Over 80 per cent of the total output is shipped to nearly 20 foreign markets. The fruit is exported to China via border gates in Lạng Sơn and Lào Cai provinces.

Meanwhile, there is over 11,800ha of lime across Long An, generating 184,322 tonnes each year. Local limes have been exported to China, some other Asian countries, and Europe, according to Lệ.

The Honghe commerce division said Yunnan province is working to improve the business climate, develop the Hekou digital border gate, and streamline export and import procedures to facilitate customs clearance for agricultural products and by-products. Therefore, it is necessary to connect businesses of Honghe county with Vietnamese partners with large farming areas.

This was also an occasion for Long An to help local agricultural production firms and cooperatives to boost trade with domestic and foreign markets, thereby helping promote that between Việt Nam - China in 2023 and the following years. — VNS