Opportunities for cooperation in preserving, processing and exporting farm produce were discussed at a meeting held in the northern province of Bac Giang on June 25 between the Provincial People’s Committee and a delegation of representatives from ten different embassies.

The delegation, including diplomats from the embassies of Australia, Hungary, Russia, Rumania, Peru, the US, India, Morocco, Ukraine and Sweden, was led by Pham Sanh Chau, Head of the External Relations Culture Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chau said the delegation’s visit would help the diplomats understand the province’s farm produce and potential while contributing to boosting friendship and cooperation between Bac Giang province and the embassies.

Speaking at the meeting, Do Quoc Tuan, Director of the provincial Department of Foreign Affairs, gave an overview of the local socio-economic context, potentials as well as the orientation for provincial cooperation in the near future.

Bac Giang province is home to Vietnam’s largest lychee cultivation area of 32,000 hectares, accounting for 73 percent of provincial orchard-growing area. The Luc Ngan lychee has been recognised by five countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Laos and Cambodia. At present, the lychee is exported to the US, Australia, France and Malaysia, and is highly appreciated for its outstanding quality.

In a bid to create a competitive advantage for the lychee, the province needs to ensure food safety and run promotion campaigns to expand the consumption markets, the diplomats recommended.

They said the province should carefully assess foreign markets before exporting farm produce in order to prevent trade risks.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Hugh Douglas Borowman highlighted that the application of modern technology in lychee preservation would help the Vietnamese fruit gain a large share in the European market.

In addition to tapping into the potential of farm produce, Vijay Kumar from the Indian Embassy suggested the province develop eco-tourism, considering it as a key economic sector to lure more investment to the locality.

Bac Giang province wants to boost international cooperation in a number of fields, including farm produce production and preservation, high-tech development, green-technology transfer, eco-tourism development and high-quality workforce training, Duong Van Thai, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said.

He added that Bac Giang would continue to be a favourable destination for enterprises, investors and international organisations.-VNA