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Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has recorded continual growth in squid and octopus exports to China over the last three years, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

Shipments of these commodities to China last year rose by nearly 61 percent from 2019 and by 21 percent year on year in the first four months of 2021 to more than 9.7 million USD.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic partly contained in China, this country has gradually eased restrictions, helping to recover demand for mollusc imports, VASEP said, noting that squid and octopus products remain one of Vietnam’s key aquatic exports to the neighbouring market.

Vietnam shipped almost 3.3 billion USD worth of aquatic products abroad in the first five months of 2021, up 14 percent year on year.

Up to 60 percent, or nearly 2 billion USD, of the revenue was contributed by the 13 Mekong Delta localities while six others in the southeastern region made up 18 percent, 602 million USD, VASEP reported.

Between January and May, overall agricultural exports to China posted impressive growth with shipments of some produce even matching or surpassing the corresponding figures for the entire 2020, according to the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In particular, Vietnam shipped over 468,000 tonnes of mango to this market, equivalent to 112 percent of last year’s figure; 348,000 tonnes of banana, 87 percent; 301,000 tonnes of jackfruit, 92 percent; and 1.1 million tonnes of dragon fruit, 63 percent.

Hoang Trung, Director of the Plant Protection Department, said China has long been the main importer of farm produce from Vietnam, and it will remain the largest buyer of Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products in the time to come./.

VNA

Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Hanoi’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been supporting farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises to promote the consumption of farming products via modern distribution channels in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy director of the department Nguyen Ngoc Son said that, to expand the agricultural product market, the department has strengthened the connection between Hanoi and other provinces and cities in consuming safe agricultural products.

Of which, it has cooperated with the municipal Department of Industry and Trade to support localities’ trade promotion  activities in the capital city to increase the consumption of agricultural and seafood products.

“Besides that, the department has also organised direct connection activities among manufacturers – distributors – consumers in the city, and launched the website https://chonhaminh.gov.vn to promote connections on the e-commerce platform,” Son said.

“Hanoi has also supported businesses in building and advertising their brands of agricultural products to promote consumption via supermarkets, food chains, restaurants, and hotels.”

Specifically, the department has connected with supermarket chains, such as Central Group, MM Mega Market, Vinmart and BRG, to consume more than 130 tonnes of Chi Linh chicken of Hai Duong province; 56,000 tonnes of mango and 98,000 tonnes of longan of Son La province; 12,000 tonnes of vegetables, fruits and seafood products of Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and Ha Giang provinces, and Vinh Chau purple onions of the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang.

The first-ever livestream promoting products of Hanoi’s “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme was held early this month by the Hanoi Coordination Office for New-style Rural Area Building together with the ASEAN Digital Conversion Research Institute (ASEAN Academy).

This event aimed to support stakeholders in the production, sale and marketing of OCOP products through digital technologies and e-commerce platforms, especially against the backdrop of COVID-19.

Nguyen Van Chi, standing deputy chief of the Coordination Office for the New Rural Development Programme in Hanoi, said: ” Hanoi considers livestreaming one of the effective solutions to promote online consumption of agricultural products, especially OCOP products and regional specialities.”

Dang Thi Cuoi, Director of the Cuoi Quy Hi-tech Organic Vegetable Cooperative in Dan Phuong district, Hanoi, said that due to the impact of the COVID-19, collective kitchens and restaurants must close while foreigners to Vietnam are also limited, so it is difficult for her cooperative to sell vegetables. However, with online trading channels, the cooperative has stability in vegetable consumption with an average volume of 200-300 kilos of vegetables per day.

According to Dao Thi Luong, Director of the Tam Anh Cooperative for Production and Trading of organic vegetables and fruits in Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi, with the support from the city Women’s Union, the cooperative has sold 200 kilos of vegetables every day. Along with that, the cooperative has been promoting online trading activities, especially on Facebook.

Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Chu Phu My said that the department will continue to coordinate with the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade and the Hanoi Trade and Investment Promotion Centre to promote the implementation of a programme on regional cooperation, and support consumption between Hanoi and other provinces and cities.

This programme includes support in introducing farming products and connecting Hanoi and other provinces and cities to promote the consumption of those products, especially products facing oversupply in harvest seasons.

It will support connections between domestic and joint venture enterprises with foreign partners abroad in the distribution and processing of those products, and encourage the businesses to develop e-commerce platforms and apply information technology in consumption activities./.

VNA