A Vietnamese booth at the exhibition. VNA/VNS Photo

SEOUL — Ten Vietnamese firms are showcasing their services and products at the ongoing International Agriculture Exhibition (IAE) 2019 in Jeollanam province, South Korea.

The exhibition, one of the most important trade promotion events in agriculture, also lures more than 400 exhibitors from 30 countries and territories worldwide.

On the sidelines of the event, the Viêt Nam-Korea Business and Investment Association teamed up with the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea to organise a business matching event for Vietnamese and Korean firms, during which co-operation pacts, particularly those related to high-tech applications, were signed. 

The association and the Jeollanam research institute for agricultural techniques also inked a memorandum of understanding on comprehensive partnership, opening up new doors for Vietnamese farm produce and R&D products to enter the South Korean market.

The event will wrap up on Sunday. 

With its high demand for agricultural products, South Korea offers Việt Nam the opportunity to boost its farm exports, according to trade experts. 

South Korea’s agricultural imports have soared in recent years, reaching US$35.2 billion last year. Yet Việt Nam’s exports were very modest at around $2 billion.

Việt Nam exports wooden products, seafood and fruits to South Korea and imports animal feed, fertilisers, seafood and fruits from the market. 

In order to enter the market, agricultural products must meet certain conditions like consistent quality, size, colour, and breeds and strong brands and have pricing strategies to ensure competitiveness, Hong Sun, vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Việt Nam told a recent conference in HCM City.

He called on Việt Nam’s agricultural sector to speed up the development of organic agriculture to meet international export standards, including his country’s.

Relevant agencies should instruct farmers in technological application to improve product quality and output, he said. — VNS