SA fresh produce will soon reach Vietnamese market

South African authorities are hard at work to expand market access for the country’s fresh produce in Vietnam.

South Africa recently hosted a highlevel delegation led by Vuong Dinh Hue, the deputy prime minister of Vietnam, to discuss improved trade relations in areas such as agriculture.

According to a statement from the Presidency, Deputy President David Mabuza said that following the meeting, increased market access for agricultural and agro-processed products to Vietnam would be ensured. The two countries would also work together to eliminate technical barriers for trade expansion.

Vietnam was South Africa’s fifth largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and was one of the most dynamic economies in the East

Asia region, the statement added.

Following talks with Vietnam, the South African table grape sector could be the first local fruit sector to benefit, according to an article published on Fruitnet.com.

According to the Produce Marketing Association’s ‘2019 Vietnam Country Report’, only a number of countries were allowed to supply fresh fruit to the Vietnamese market, including Australia, France, South Africa, the US, Canada, China, India, New Zealand and South Korea.

Vietnamese authorities said that the government in that country wanted to protect and promote local fruit and vegetables, and therefore agricultural regulations and policies favoured domestic producers, or investors in local agricultural projects. However, according to Dr Dang

Kim Son, the former director of the Institute of Strategic Policy in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who was quoted in the report, only 1% of agriculture companies participated in the government’s support programme.

Gert Upton, marketing and sales manager at Schoonbee Landgoed, a citrus, table grape and game farming operation in the Loskop Valley, Limpopo, said company officials recently visited Vietnam, and found that there was a lot of interest from retailers and importers, which presented a big opportunity for South African producers.

“Currently, South Africa has to go through Hong Kong, Malaysia or Singapore to get its grapes into Vietnam, which has a [significant] cost implication,” he said. – Siyanda Sishuba