One of the successful milestones in trade promotion activities in 2024 is the story of the first time Vietnam organized a Fruit Festival in China.
During the busy last days of the year, we had the opportunity to chat with Director of the Trade Promotion Agency Vu Ba Phu and he shared about one of the successful milestones in trade promotion activities in 2024 - the story of the first time Vietnam organized the Fruit Festival in Beijing, China.
Unforgettable memories
Sir, can you tell us some memorable things about the first time the Ministry of Industry and Trade coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to successfully organize a large-scale Vietnamese fruit festival abroad?
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Director of Trade Promotion Agency Vu Ba Phu |
China is a large market that Vietnamese fruits are aiming for. For many years, China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner. The total two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and China accounts for 1/4 of Vietnam's total import-export turnover with the world.
On the other hand, Vietnam is one of China's largest trading partners in the world and China's largest partner in ASEAN.
Trade activities between Vietnam and China still recorded high growth, however, in recent times, Vietnamese fruits have mostly been exported through border trade, informal trade and are only present in the provinces bordering Vietnam and China. To develop sustainable exports to the Chinese market, Vietnamese fruit exports need to strongly shift to official channels combined with image and brand promotion. Faced with this reality, the Government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade as well as other agencies are very concerned and worried about how to bring Vietnamese agricultural products to conquer this billion-people market.
And especially, on the occasion of the 13th Session of the Vietnam-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee, the Ministry of Industry and Trade decided to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association to organize the Vietnam Fruit Festival 2024.
Overcoming many difficulties, urgent time, and the first time organizing a large fruit event abroad, with many efforts, especially the strong direction of the two Ministers, on September 29, 2024, the 2024 Vietnam Fruit Festival Exhibition in Beijing was officially opened.
Promote brand and image of typical fruit products
The Vietnam Fruit Festival 2024 Exhibition has shown its elaborateness and scale with a very meaningful message "Vietnam Water Fruit - Four Seasons of Delicacies", can you share about this message?
Vietnamese fruits have long been famous around the world for their delicious and unique flavors due to the diversity and richness of climate and soil. Even in the Chinese market, many Vietnamese tropical fruit specialties are favored by consumers but still do not carry the Vietnamese brand.
After much thought and consideration, we have chosen the message to promote Vietnamese fruits in the capital of a country of over 1.4 billion people this time as “Vietnamese fruits – Four seasons of deliciousness” (the Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation is: Vietnam Water Fruit – Four seasons of deliciousness”) with the intention of promoting the class of Vietnamese fruits that are delicious in all four seasons, with a unique taste and flavor compared to fruits that are not grown in the special climate and soil like in Vietnam.
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| Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Director of the Trade Promotion Agency Vu Ba Phu and Chinese representatives visited the booth at the Fruit Festival in Beijing, China. Photo: Nguyen Minh |
With the theme “Vietnamese Fruits – Four Seasons of Deliciousness”, the Festival is one of the important trade promotion events with the Chinese market for fresh fruits and vegetables and processed products from fruits and vegetables that have been officially imported into China. This is also the first time a large-scale fruit festival has been held abroad, with the active participation of large Vietnamese agricultural processing and export enterprises as well as agricultural associations, importers, and suppliers from China.
The festival brings together 21 Vietnamese enterprises to exhibit, introduce and provide product experience in an area of over 300m2, with 13 islands displaying Vietnamese fruit-themed products, combined with a business trading area. The festival is held at Tan Phat Dia Agricultural Products Distribution Center, Phong Dai District, the largest fruit wholesale market in Beijing - the capital, political, economic and cultural center of the country, a market with high value and great demand.
Accordingly, the organization of the Fruit Festival in Beijing has helped promote the brands and images of delicious and nutritious tropical fruits of Vietnam, attracting the attention of many businesses, consumers and news agencies and media. At the same time, it is a good opportunity for Vietnamese producers and suppliers to introduce and promote their brands and images of typical fruit products, as well as meet and seek customers, enhance trade activities, and build sustainable cooperative relationships with potential partners in fruit import in China.
Affirming the value of Vietnamese agricultural products
There are many opinions that highly appreciate the significance of this Festival in Vietnam. What do you think about this issue and what do you think is the most successful mark left by the Festival?
In fact, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce also evaluated Vietnam's organization of this Festival, emphasizing that the event has important significance, demonstrating the relentless efforts to improve the quality of export products of Vietnamese farmers and businesses in meeting the increasingly high quality demands of the Chinese market.
Every year, China spends about 20 billion USD to import fruits. Meanwhile, up to now, officially imported Vietnamese fruits only account for about 10% of the market share in China, mainly in the southern and southeastern regions of China and the provinces bordering Vietnam. Accordingly, this will be money to promote more sustainable agricultural trade between the two countries.
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| Vietnamese products are highly appreciated and loved by Chinese consumers. Photo: CT |
In my opinion, one of the most important achievements of the Festival is that it has contributed to more vividly reflecting the friendly cooperation relationship between China and Vietnam in the agricultural sector. The Festival is also one of the factors that clearly motivates Vietnamese farmers and enterprises to improve their business methods, improve their products, and supply the market with fruits of beautiful appearance and outstanding quality, contributing to raising and affirming Vietnam's position on the world fruit supply map in general and the Chinese market in particular.
In addition to a series of cooperation documents signed between businesses of the two sides, the Chinese side has also created conditions for Vietnam to have a booth at the Tan Phat Dia Agricultural Products Distribution Center. Based on the working content of the Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam with Mr. Truong Ngoc Ty - General Director of the Tan Phat Dia Agricultural Products Distribution Center on the sidelines of the Festival, the Trade Promotion Department was assigned by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to act as the focal point to coordinate with localities, associations, and enterprises in the agricultural and food industry of Vietnam to organize participation in the Regular Exhibition Area of high-quality agricultural and food products of Vietnam exported to China at the Tan Phat Dia Agricultural Products Distribution Center. This will be a bridge for Vietnamese agricultural products to be able to deeply access the Chinese market, "supporting" to affirm the value of Vietnamese agricultural products not only to conquer the region but also in the international arena in the coming time.
Thank you very much!
Source: https://congthuong.vn/le-hoi-trai-cay-viet-nam-tai-trung-quoc-chuyen-bay-gio-moi-ke-370694.html
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