MEKONG DELTA — A total of 309 contracts and MoUs were signed between enterprises from 35 provinces and cities at a conference to promote agricultural production and consumption which opened in the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre on Thursday.

The companies also displayed specialty farm products such as apples, grapes and seaweed from Bình Thuận Province, green-skinned pomelos and mandarin oranges from Lai Vung, mangoes from Cao Lãnh in Đồng Tháp Province, and dried fish and shrimp from coastal provinces.

The highlights included specialties from Bến Tre Province like cosmetics made from coconut oil.

Standing deputy chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, Lê Thanh Liêm, hailed the programme for enhancing trade co-operation between the city and localities around the country for contributing to socio-economic development and social security.

Since the first such conference to connect buyers and sellers of goods in HCM City and other provinces and cities held by the city Department of Trade and Industry in 2012, the annual event has served as a bridge to connect and promote trade between them.

A seminar was held on “semi-processing of farm produce to be sold to HCM City” to offer an opportunity for producers/manufacturers and suppliers to discuss means to promote production and supply of farm produce, and come up with policies to help manufacturers/producers reduce pollution and better manage and treat waste in the city by 2020.

Delegates agreed that semi-processing and packaging of farm produce at source would cut the volume of waste brought to HCM City. It would also create favourable conditions to develop the wholesale markets of Thủ Đức, Bình Điền and Hóc Môn into farm-produce import-export centres, they said.

Localities that supply farm produce to HCM City such as Lâm Đồng, Đồng Nai, Bến Tre, Long An, and Tiền Giang have made plans to semi-process farm produce at source.

However, it is the trader at the wholesale market who decides the success of the plans to reduce the waste in HCM City, delegates said.

The conference was chaired by Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Đỗ Thắng Hải. — VNS.