Farm produce on display at the cold storage zone of the Ontario Food Terminal. (Photo: VNA) The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-PacificPartnership (CPTPP) has helped many Canadian businesses to enter the Vietnamesemarket while Vietnamese firms have yet to find out effective ways to explorethe Canadian market.
At a recent meeting with the HCM City delegation, Minister ofAgriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Ontario province Lisa Thompsonintroduced the Ontario Food Terminal (OFT), which could become a gateway forproducts and tropical fruits of Vietnam to enter Canada and also a model forVietnam to consider to apply.
Thompson’svisit to the Southeast Asian country in February and the HCM City delegation’s latesttrip showed both sides’ great interest in agricultural cooperation, especiallythe development of a farm produce trading platform for both the southeasternand southwestern regions of Vietnam, Tran Thu Quynh, Trade Counsellor of theVietnamese Embassy in Canada, told the Vietnam News Agency.
The market zone at the Ontario Food Terminal. (Photo: VNA) It operates under strict supervision of a boardset up by the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
NguyenNgoc Hoa, Chairman of the HCM City Union of Business Associations, said thatthe OFT is a model supported by the state but operated by enterprises via aboard of persons directly running the terminal. It also connects exporters withimporters who are always ready to offer help in terms of procedures to importgoods into Canada.
At theOFT, all products must meet food safety and packaging standards. Transactions hereare also transparent, helping qualified products be put up for sale in Canadaor exported to other countries.
Hoa held that the OFT is a business model worthlearning, noting it doesn’t simply pursue profit but also serves the interestsof those engaging in the terminal./.
VNA
