The wholesale farm produce markets of Binh Dien and Thu Duc in Ho Chi Minh City will become the two biggest fruit export centers in Vietnam, as proposed by the HCMC Service of Trade to the Ministry of Trade.
The Binh Dien and Thu Duc markets, which are the two biggest wholesale agro-products markets in Vietnam at the moment, have good conditions to become fruit export centers, the municipal Service of Trade said in its proposal.
Binh Dien, located in the outlying district of Binh Chanh, trades nearly 50 tons of fruit every night since it went into operation in March 2006. The market covers 65 hectares with total investment of more than VND1 trillion ($62.5 million).
Meanwhile, businesses exchange some 500 tons of fruit everyday at Thu Duc agro-market in Thu Duc district, whose construction cost amounted to $7.8 million in the first stage.
While pending the ministry’s consideration of the plan, a ministry official agreed on the need to have big fruit export centers in the country.
“Vietnam plans to intensify fruit, vegetable and flower export in the coming time and it is necessary to have some export centers, Tran Duc Minh, deputy minister of trade, said at a meeting with fruit businesses last week.
He said fruits, vegetables and flowers could bring more export revenue for Vietnam. However, the sector must reorganize trading and farming. He also asked businesses to build model fruit centers for export at the meeting.
Last year Vietnam’s fruits generated $234 million in export revenue.
Vietnam expects to earn $1 billion from exporting some 700,000 tons of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers and 700,000 tons of processed and semi-processed fruit products in 2010.
Saigon Times Daily
Vietnamese
