Vietnam, Poland Fortify Cooperation in F&B Industry

“Vietnam is an important buyer of Poland’s agricultural products and food,” said Mr. Alexander Nowakowski, 3rd Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Polish Embassy, at the press conference introducing the campaign “Tasteful Europe” and Vietnam - Poland trade exchange in the food and beverage (F&B) industry. The event was organized by Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ho Chi Minh City Branch (VCCI-HCM), in collaboration with the Polish Chamber of Commerce Promotion Centre (KIGCP).

Press conference on the campaign “Tasteful Europe”

According to Mr. Alexander Nowakowski, in recent years, the agricultural and food sectors have played an important role in the cooperation between Vietnam and Poland. These are sectors in which both Poland and Vietnam have advantages, but their products complement rather than compete against each other. This is not only a great advantage but also a solid foundation for increasing the level of cooperation between Vietnam and Poland in the field of export of agricultural products in the coming time.

Mr. Alexander Nowakowski said that at a recent meeting, leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland had agreed on the contents of cooperation in the coming time, including the promotion and introduction of popular Polish food products (beef, goose meat, chicken, wild fruits, etc.) into the supermarket system in Vietnam and vice versa. The good news is that Vietnamese consumers increasingly favor high-quality food products originating from Poland, especially sausage products and meat-related products. "As income and quality of life improve, the food selection criteria of Vietnamese consumers have also changed, with more emphasis on safe, nutrient-dense and better- quality food. Polish agricultural products completely meet these requirements. I hope, in the near future, Poland's high-quality food products manufactured according to the standards of the European Union (EU) will appear with greater frequency on the dining tables of Vietnamese consumers, delivering them most interesting culinary experiences," Alexander Nowakowski said.

According to Piotr Harasimowicz, Chief Representative Officer at Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Vietnam, Vietnam is not only one of the leading trading partners but also an important buyer of Poland's agricultural products and food. In 2021, Poland exported more than 143 million EUR worth of products to Vietnam. In the future, the value of agri-food exports will increase even more, in the context that the Polish business community is promoting trade promotion and investment cooperation with Vietnamese enterprises in the import and export of agricultural products and food processing in order to effectively take advantage of incentives from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), as well as other FTAs that Vietnam is implementing.

Mr. Piotr Harasimowicz added that the campaign “Tasteful Europe”, sponsored by the EU, promotes EU agricultural products, food and beverages worldwide. Currently, Polish food businesses are promoting this campaign to promote the introduction of Polish products into Vietnam. Accordingly, the Polish business delegation led by KIGCP also had meetings and worked directly with manufacturers, partners, supermarkets in Vietnam; actively participated in food and beverage industry fairs and exhibitions in Vietnam to seek potential import partners and distributors. “The highest goal of this campaign is to bring high-quality Polish food products to penetrate deeper into the Vietnamese market and be more known and chosen by Vietnamese consumers. That's the reason why in the coming time, we will focus on studying consumer demand as well as adjusting the structure of food products exported to the Vietnamese market in the most appropriate and effective way, because the consumer culture in Vietnam are also very different,” Mr. Piotr Harasimowicz emphasized.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum