Dozens of international firms are actively seeking Vietnamese partners at the Vietnam Foodexpo 2023, the largest international trade show for the food and foodstuff industry in Vietnam.

The expo was opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday and is set to wrap up on Saturday.

After working with 10 partners from different countries, Vo Thanh Tuan, director of agricultural firm Nhat Nong Gia Lai in Gia Lai Province, located in the Central Highlands region, said that the demand of China, Japan, and Europe for processed farm produce is quite high.

It is high time for Vietnamese food exporters to enter these markets, he said.

However, he asserted that local exporters should improve the quality of their products in order to attract buyers who set high standards.

“As for beverages, foreign customers prefer organic products with less sugar and salt, so Vietnamese firms should prioritize the production of these drinks to meet the needs of international consumers,” Tuan said.

According to Nguyen Bich Van, the owner of a Ho Chi Minh City-based food processing firm, the Chinese market’s demand for farm produce and necessities is huge, but its requirements on food quality are becoming more and more stringent.

A representative of China’s Minrong Guangxi Company said that high-quality, organic products are sought after in the Chinese market.

Therefore, the firm is ramping up its import of these products, the representative added.

Among the 15 foreign partners with which Tinh Nguyen Foods Company in Tay Ninh Province, southern Vietnam worked during the expo, several showed their interest in the firm’s chilli sauces and spices, said Ton Nu Ngan Ha, a representative of the company.

Many Vietnamese fruit and candy producers said that multiple foreign investors had placed orders for their products at the trade show.

However, they refused these orders as they have yet to secure an international certificate on food safety, and the supply of materials remains unstable.

This year’s food expo features over 500 booths run by some 400 firms in Vietnam and 20 nations such as the United States, Russia, Australia, China, South Korea, and Japan.

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