Many Japanese businesses keep a close eye on Vietnamese food industry, but hesitate to invest in the market due to weaknesses of the country’s transport infrastructure and logistics system, a Japanese representative has said.

Hirotaka Yasuzumi, Managing Director of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Office in Ho Chi Minh City, spoke about this concern at a dialogue between representatives of some Vietnamese ministries and agencies and the Japanese business community, held in the city on June 25.

He urged Vietnam to swiftly upgrade its road system and improve the operation of logistics services, in order to shorten delivery time as well as ensure the quality of goods, especially fresh food.

This will also help increase the attractiveness of Vietnam to Japanese businesses, particularly small and medium-sized food producers, he said.

Vietnam and Japan have agreed to further expand their agro-forestry and fisheries processing industry under Vietnam’s industrialisation strategy within their cooperation framework for through 2020, with a vision towards 2030.

Doan Xuan Hoa, Deputy Director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry’s Department of Agro-Forestry Products Processing and Salt Industry, said Vietnam hopes to attract Japanese investment in the food industry from farming to distribution, with focus on products of great potential such as rubber, coffee, tea, shrimp and vegetables and fruit./.