Peru continues to target Asian markets with the firm objective of becoming a strategic partner in the export of its fresh products. With an annual growth of close to 5%, Peru is one of the Latin American countries with the greatest international projection. The export of food represents its second generator of foreign exchange and, although its main destination markets are currently North America and the European Union, the growth in trade with Asia in the fruit and vegetable sector has evolved favourably in recent years.

The recently signed EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is already bearing fruit, with Vietnam dispatching its first shipment of passionfruit to Europe. As Nhan Dan Online reports, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced on 16 September alongside exporter Dong Giao Foodstuff Export Joint Stock Company that 100 tons of passionfruit were on their way to the Netherlands.

2020 will be Spain’s first full season shipping table grapes to Vietnam, after gaining access in 2018 and completing successful trial shipments in 2019. Fepex reports that the first shipment of grapes from the Murcia departed for Vietnam on 9 July. Spain represents a new source of table grapes in the June-October window. Trade missions have involved Spanish grape producers (Moyca, El Ciruelo, Frutas Esther, Uniland, Frutas Torero and Hispagroup) visiting Vietnam, and reciprocal visits to Spain made by Vietnamese importers.

Vietnam is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies, with GDP growth hitting 7% in 2019. Due to the current pandemic, GDP growth in 2020 is expected to be down to 2.8%, according to Trade Data Monitor (TDM). Imports of agrifood products for Vietnam’s retail food channels were down 22% percent Y-O-Y, from US$20.4 billion in 2018 to $15.9 billion in 2019.

The 4th edition of HortEx Vietnam will take place from 17-19 March 2021 in the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. HortEx Vietnam is the first specialised exhibition and conference for horticultural and floricultural production and processing technology in Vietnam. HortEx Vietnam has built up a solid position as the leading exhibition for horticulture and floriculture for Vietnam and neighbouring countries.

Photo: Vietnamnews

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions have been placed on Australian produce entering Vietnam. However, following a meeting last week between Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade, Tran Tuan Anh, and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Simon Birmingham, Vietnam has vowed to remove the obstacles, according to Vietnam Plus. The two ministers agreed on ways to work together to restore supply chains of the major partners.

Vietnam’s farmers now have an accreditation programme (VietGAP) to guarantee the safety of their produce and help them enter the lucrative markets of Hanoi and abroad. The north-western areas of Moc Chau and Van Ho in the Son La province are highly dependent on agriculture. There has been a rise in demand among Hanoi’s urban population for the products of the north-western mountains as they are viewed as “authentic”, safe and high-quality with taste and nutrition.

A new train line between Vietnam and China is expected to promote an increase in trade between the two countries. The first shipment to arrive by this route at the end of February was over 150 tons of dragon fruit, which left the Dong Dang train station in northern Vietnam and arrived at the Pingxiang railway port in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, reports Xinhua.