Cashew processing for exports (Photo:VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The US press spotlight on President Barack Obama’s visit to Vietnam will help raise Vietnamese cashew shipments to the US, the Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS) said on May 23.
The US is currently the largest cashew nut importer of Vietnam, accounting for more than 50 percent of total market share. Vietnamese enterprises sold over 28,500 tonnes of cashew to the US and earned total revenue of more than 220 million USD in the first four months of this year, up 8.8 percent in quantity and 18.6 percent in value year-on-year.
Most cashew exports are trademarked by American enterprises, however their Vietnamese origin will be highlighted to US consumers thanks to media coverage during Obama’s visit to Vietnam, VINACAS Vice President and Secretary General Dang Hoang Giang noted.
During a working visit to Vietnam in early April this year, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross said that cashew exports will have great potential for growth in the US market after the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal takes effect.
Vietnamese exports of cashew to US market will thrive as the products will take advantage of the TPP deal, Giang said.
To enhance cashew shipments to the US, VINACAS will organise a trade promotion programme when attending the International Nut and Dried Fruit Congress in San Diego, California at the end of this month.
Experts say that the Vietnamese cashew sector must focus on food safety in production and processing as this will decide whether the Vietnamese nuts can gain a stable foothold in the US market.-VNA
