With five years of strong export growth into the Singapore market, Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports received a lift from a visit by the Singaporean Fruit and Vegetable Association.

All Vietnamese fruit exports have been checked with modern technology and properly certified for quality.

Association chairman Chin Yew Neng, who led the delegation, said during the trip that his country imported more than 90% of agricultural produce from other countries and that food safety and hygiene was a matter of prime concern.

In response, Do Tien Dung from the southern Centre for Plant Protection, said that all Vietnamese fruit exports have been checked with modern technology and properly certified for quality.

Nguyen Dai Luong, head of Song Hau Farm's Sales Department, said the meeting between the Singaporean mission and the Vietnam Fruit Association (Vinafruit) came as a good chance to promote agro-products.

Luong said that he hoped larger amounts of high-quality tropical fruit were made accessible to Singaporean consumers, adding that 150,000 Hoa Loc mango plants on his farm could now supply up to 750,000 tonnes of quality and clean mangoes.

"Our company is planning to expand export markets to Singapore since most of its processed products meet international standards for exports to European countries and the US," said Dang Thi Anh Thoa, deputy head of Sales Department of Sannam Foodstuff Joint-Stock Co.''

The Singaporean association looks highly upon Vietnamese fruit, planning long-term co-operation and business with local partners in the coming time.

Vinafruit reported a sharp increase in Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports to Singapore during the past five years, with last year's revenue of US$6.3mil being six times higher than figures from five years ago.

Vinafruit's chairwoman Vo Mai called competition between local fruit enterprises counter-productive, saying collaboration is key to exporting agro-products to Singapore.

Deputy Trade Minister Tran Duc Minh also warned that Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exporters needed to contact Dinh Van Thanh, deputy director of the Singapore-based Trade Research Institute, to better understand fruit export markets and to set up specific co-operative ties for sustainable business.

Strict measures should also be adopted by local businesses to ensure product safety and hygiene prior to export, he added.

(Source: Viet Nam News)