HCM CITY — The Việt Nam International Food Industry Exhibition opened in HCM City on Wednesday.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Đỗ Thắng Hải, said in his opening speech at Việt Nam Foodexpo: “The ministry organises the event to promote Vietnamese enterprises’ internal strengths and help them take advantage of free trade agreements and improve their competitiveness.

“It is a forum for local and international businesses to compare notes and explore business opportunities, which help enable trade between international and domestic [companies] involved in food, drinks and processing technologies.”

There are 450 businesses from 31 Vietnamese cities and provinces besides 23 countries and territories at the four-day event.

They are displaying a wide range of agricultural products like fresh, dried, frozen and canned fruits; seafood; beverages; food materials; and food processing technologies and equipment.

Leading local brands such as Quảng Ngãi Sugar, Satra, TH, Tigifood, Phúc Sinh Coffee, Vissan, PAN Group, Antesco, Phú Thịnh Food and Thiên Hương Food are taking part, some for the first time.

The expo will also feature promotional activities on its sidelines, including an international cooking contest, a business co-operation agreement signing ceremony, a food show, and business matching.

This year, the Netherlands has been selected as the Country of Honour at the expo.

Many Dutch companies have brought their latest technologies and some of their country’s unique products.

The three-year-old expo is considered the most comprehensive in the food industry, and attracts thousands of products and brands: from raw materials to processed products, including products that have put Việt Nam on the list of major exporters such as tea, coffee, rice, pepper and cashew; to new products such as herbal mushrooms.

In 2017, the event received over 24,000 visitors, including more than 3,000 international guests from nearly 50 countries and territories.

The Việt Nam International Food Technologies Exhibition (Foodtech 2018) is being held together with the expo, with 100 booths showcasing advanced technologies and machinery for the food processing industry.

Both events aim to speed up technology flows and improve productivity and value-addition in the food processing industry.

The expos, being held at the Sài Gòn Exhibition and Convention Centre, are expected to welcome over 20,000 visitors this year.

BMI Research has forecast Việt Nam’s food industry to grow at 10.9 per cent annually in the 2015-20 period. — VNS