HCM CITY – A wide range of farm produce, seafood, processed foods, beverages, tea and coffee, food ingredients, and food processing technologies and machinery are on display at the Việt Nam International Food Industry Exhibition that opened in HCM City today.

Vietnam Food Expo has 550 booths set up over 400 exhibitors from 30 Vietnamese cities and provinces and 15 other countries and territories, including Egypt, Poland, Cuba, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Hungary, Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and China.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hồ Thị Kim Thoa said Việt Nam’s food industry has huge potential to develop.

With its diverse, quality products, the industry not only meets local needs but also exports to many countries around the world, she said.

Exports of agricultural products and food were worth US$20 billion last year, or 12 per cent of the country’s total, as Việt Nam ranked among the top exporters of many agricultural products, she said.

The event is being organised by her ministry together with relevant ministries, localities, associations, and businesses to enhance trade promotion in both domestic and export markets, she said.

The expo also includes the 2016 Vietnam Foodtech featuring modern technologies and machines for the food industry, which will enable Vietnamese firms to access advanced technologies from developed countries to improve their competitiveness.

Other activities like an international conference on Việt Nam’s food industry, a seminar on investment promotion in the food processing industry and an international cookery contest will be held on its sidelines.

Việt Nam’s food sector has enjoyed good growth in recent years and would continue to do so, offering ample opportunities for local and foreign businesses, Thoa said.

The exhibition, on at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7 until November 19, is expected to receive more than 20,000 visitors. — VNS