Berlin (VNA) - Vietnam has marked its most significant participation ever at Fruit Logistica, the world’s largest fruit and vegetable exhibition, which opened in Berlin on February 5.
The Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit) set up ten booths at the three-day fair, showcasing such staples as mangos, longans, dragon fruits, durians, jack fruits, coconuts, passion fruits, and rambutans. This is the fifth time Vietnam has joined the event.
Vinafruit General Secretary Dang Phuc Nguyen told the Vietnam News Agency that Fruit Logistica provides Vietnamese enterprises opportunities to seek new trading partners and strengthen their relationships with European buyers, helping bolster exports to this fastidious market in alignment with the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement while diversifying market options. Besides, they will be exposed to new technologies regarding product preservation and packaging.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese agricultural counsellor in the EU Tran Van Cong said that Europe is an open market providing a favorable approach to plant-based products, including fruits and vegetables, which offers Vietnam a significant advantage. With Europe’s post-inspection policies, all fruit varieties can access the market without planting area registration, packaging codes, and irradiation as requested by many others.
However, Vietnamese producers must strictly adhere to the EU’s strict production standards, he stressed.
Director of Golden Bee import – export company Huynh Thanh Truc said Vietnamese novel fruits have won the taste of European consumers, with durians and longans gaining significant market share along with such traditional fruits as dragon fruits and passion fruits. Yet, she noted that Vietnamese fruits and vegetables are struggling to compete on prices due to high logistics costs.
Last year, Vientam shipped 7.15 billion USD worth of fruits and vegetables abroad, including 242.5 million USD to the EU.
In the framework of the fair, a Memorandum of Understanding was inked between Vina T&T Co., Ltd (Vietnam) and Golden Gate Bce B.V (the Netherlands) on distribution of Vietnamese fruits, initially coconuts, grapefruits, longans, and lychees, in the Netherlands and the EU as a whole.
With over 2,600 exhibitors from more than 90 countries, Fruit Logistica is set to reaffirm its reputation as the year’s most influential meeting point for the global fruit and vegetable sector. This year’s motto, Fruitful Connections, highlights the show’s focus on fostering meaningful partnerships and collaboration within the industry.
Hosted in 26 exhibition halls, each dedicated to specific areas such as tropical fruits, organic vegetables, post-harvest technology, and logistics, the event offers a comprehensive overview of innovations in preservation, processing, and packaging technologies, along with the latest products and services, as well as distribution channels within the global supply chain./.
