The event attracted the participation of more than 200 managers andleaders of major domestic and foreign enterprises operating in thesector.
Delegates at the event outlined challenges hindering thesector’s progress such as epidemics, climate change, drought and highprices of raw materials, which account for 70-80 percent of theproduction prices.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development, Vietnam currently has 41 sugar factories with totalcapacity of 140.000 tonnes of sugar per day. Each year, the sector sellsabout 1.5 million tonnes of sugar in the domestic market and exports300.000 tonnes.
Pham Hong Duong, a representative of the ThanhThanh Cong Group, said Vietnam is expected to join the ASEAN Free TradeArea (AFTA) in the near future, mandating the need for the country toaccelerate agricultural and technological renovations and reduceproduction costs in a bid to gain a firm foothold in the regional marketduring the integration process.-VNA