HCM City (VNA) – Experts from the Republic of Korea (RoK) offeredtheir advice to Vietnamese farm producers on how to get their products into theRoK market, which has a high demand for agricultural products, at a forum in HCMCity on August 29.

Vietnamese firms and farmers mustfocus on improving quality, building brand and offering competitive prices,delegates told the forum on Vietnam-Korea Trade Promotion of AgriculturalProducts.

Le Thanh Hoa, deputy directorgeneral of the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority, said the RoK’sagricultural imports have soared in recent years, reaching 35.2 billion USDlast year.

Yet Vietnam’s exports of thoseproducts to this market were very modest, he said.

Deputy Minister of Agriculturaland Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said bilateral trade in the agriculturalsector is very low compared to the potential of the two countries.

Vietnam exports wooden products,seafood and fruits to the RoK and imports animal feed, fertilisers,seafood and fruits from there, he said.

Nam noted that the RoK has allowedthe import of coconut, pineapple, banana, mango and dragon fruit from Vietnam,adding that Koreans are very fond of Vietnamese fruits and seafood, whileVietnamese like many Korean products, including kimchi.

Hong Sun, vice chairman of theKorea Chamber of Business in Vietnam, said to be able to enter the market,agricultural products must meet certain conditions like consistent quality,size, colour, and breeds and strong brands and have pricing strategies toensure competitiveness.

He called on Vietnam’sagricultural sector to speed up the development of organic agriculture to meetinternational export standards, including those of his country.

Relevant agencies should instructfarmers in technological application to improve product quality and output, hesaid.

Son Sung Hoon, CEO of CJ Freshwayin Vietnam, said to expand the export of agro-forestry and aquatic products,Vietnamese companies must ensure they have a steady supply of quality rawmaterials.

Choosy markets like the RoK havevery strict regulations and standards for imported goods, and so relevantauthorities must update farmers and producers of these standards to enablethem to meet these criteria, he said.

Kim Yae Jin, vice director of theKorea Agro-trade Centre in HCM City, spoke about Korean consumer trends thatenterprises need to know if they plan to enter that market.

Food safety is a top priority forconsumers when choosing a product, she said, adding that the Korean Ministry ofFood and Drug Safety plans to strengthen inspection of foreign foods.

At the forum, delegates also spokeabout food safety inspection regulations and aquatic product quarantine in theRoK. -VNA