The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on February 18 had a working session with a delegation of China’s leading firms, which came to Vietnam to sound out the country’s agricultural products and market, and to import some agro-forestry-fishery products, VietnamPlus news website reported.

Farmers are seen harvesting rice in a file photo 

Tran Van Cong, deputy head of the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority under the ministry, confirmed that these leading firms were expecting to import a large volume of fruit, seafood, rice and poultry.

At the working meeting, some Chinese firms agreed to buy 100,000 tons of Vietnamese rice in the coming time. In addition, snakehead fish and a series of vegetables and fruit, such as purple-fleshed sweet potatoes and durians, are greatly sought after by the Chinese firms.

The firms expect to cooperate with Vietnam’s major enterprises that are capable of fulfilling large orders.

Cong noted that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had introduced Vietnamese firms that were able to export farm produce to the Chinese enterprises at the meeting.

Apart from the demand for farm produce imports, the Chinese firms were also interested in investments in hi-tech applications and the use of safe and clean agricultural materials in the country.

The delegation will work with the HCMC, Tien Giang, Binh Thuan and Binh Phuoc authorities until February 23 to secure good deals on farm produce imports.

SGT