China is still the largest importer of Vietnamese agricultural products and accounts for more than half of all such exports, according to the Director of the Investment and Trade Promotion Center of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC) Tran The Lu.

Speaking at a conference on June 16 on improving the quality of food products shipped to China, Mr. Lu said its reopening has helped exports of Vietnamese agricultural products recover.

The export of fruit and vegetables to China in the first four months reached $804.6 million, a year-on-year increase of 28 per cent and accounting for a market share of 58.6 per cent.

Vietnam currently ranks tenth among countries exporting farm produce to China, with turnover from such shipments exceeding $6 billion last year but accounting for only some 2.6 per cent of China’s total agricultural import value.

Chairman of the 365 Group Dinh Vinh Cuong said experts consider China the largest destination for Vietnamese agricultural products given global inflation, its surging demand, close geographical proximity, and lower logistics costs and risks compared to other markets.

Vietnam officially exports 13 key agricultural products to China.

In order to turn exports into a greater opportunity, Mr. Cuong suggested developing a strategic plan for the industry and building brands and large-scale specialized production and concentrated farming areas based on market signals.

It is also important to devise a logistics strategy and establish agricultural product storage facilities in border localities, he said.