Exporters in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long are striving for 330 million USD from export turnovers in 2015, said a local official.

Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Minh Tho said, to reach the target, the province is carrying out a project to diversify staples with increased added value and expand markets for potential products, including sport shoes and sportswear, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Local authorities have helped farmers to zone off cultivation land and build trademarks for agricultural produce and fruits, such as Tam Binh orange, Nam Roi and Vung Liem red-flesh grapefruits.

Vinh Long will also continue to improve market forecast activities and cooperate with neighbouring Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho City in facilitating trade links with such traditional markets as Indonesia and the Philippines and seeking new markets in Africa.

Promoting the export of handicrafts, seafood and fruits to Europe, the Republic of Korea, China, France and Japan is another measure to that end.

Data released by the provincial Department of Industry and Trade show that, local exporters brought home 130 million USD in the first half of this year, equivalent to 40 percent of the yearly target but down 11.5 percent against the same period last year, mainly due to waning shipments of rice and seafood.-VNA