Vietnam, EU boost cooperation for agricultural products

The Ministry of Industry and Trade coordinated with the EU delegation to Vietnam and some embassies to organize the Vietnam - EU Trade Forum on December 6^th.

At the event, delegates exchanged development orientations for agricultural product cooperation between the two sides in the near future, and shared experiences and directions to develop Vietnam’s agricultural products for export to the EU.

In his speech at the event, Deputy Minister Cao Quoc Hung affirmed that the EU is a prosperous economic bloc, with a gross domestic product (GDP) accounting for 23% of the world’s economy, and an income per capita mounting to USD40,890.

He added the bilateral trade relations are entering a new period, as the EVFTA was completed and is about to be signed and approved in the near future.

The FTA also creates incentives for agricultural products. However, the use of these incentives requires the efforts and cooperation of many parties such as the Government, the business community, associations, and scholarly and scientific consultants.

Trade experts said that the loose connection between farmers and businesses is the first barrier to agricultural exports to the EU. Some 70% of agricultural materials have been purchased directly from farmers, who are not fully provided with appropriate cultivating techniques./.