Kien Giang province eyes 1 billion USD in export turnover

Kien Giang (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is striving to earn at least 1 billion USD from exports by 2020, according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

Farm produce is expected to bring home 495 million USD; aquaculture, 230 million USD; other commodities, 44 million USD and products from state-owned enterprises, 250 million USD.

The province will branch out frozen shrimp, frozen squid and rice to markets with strong purchasing power while enhancing the competitiveness and integration capacity of businesses.

Maintaining and enlarging the distribution network as well as stabilising traditional markets and expanding potential markets are also among the province’s goals.

Along with creating favourable conditions for local enterprises to upgrade their production, the province has encouraged farms to apply advanced technology.

The province wants to export high value-added agricultural products and develop competitive commodities to gain a foothold in foreign markets.

In addition to enhancing trade promotion, the province will use market surveys and international and domestic trade fairs and exhibitions to popularise local products.

The province’s standout products have been sold in 43 countries and territories. In the past seven months, the locality earned 196 million USD from exports, 44.5 percent of its yearly plan and up 1.8 percent from the same time last year.

Meeting export goals has been challenging due to fierce competition from regional countries, shortage of capital among businesses, restricted markets and lack of materials for aquaculture processing.

However, the province still enjoyed a surge in rice exports in July, increasing total rice shipments to 270,000 tonnes in seven-month period.-VNA