Flying utility drone spraying pesticide over a cornfield. Advanced technology has been applied in agriculture in the Netherlands.(Photo: cnbc.com)
Vietnam is a magnet for investments from the Netherlands, said Chairman of the Dutch Business Association in Vietnam Edo Offerhaus.
At an exchange programme between Vietnamese and Dutch businesses held in Ho Chi Minh City on February 7, Offerhaus noted that Vietnam has an impressive economic growth in recent years with large-scale and great potential market.
Besides expanding production to increase market share in Vietnam, Dutch corporations also pay attention to products that can be re-exported to the Netherlands and other countries, he said, stressing that the companies want to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in agriculture, food processing, health care and water treatment.
He suggested that both sides need to step up collaboration in enhancing capacity in agricultural production and control of product quality towards green and sustainable development and increasing trade value for farm produce.
The Netherlands has strengths in high-tech agriculture and food processing as it knows how to link researchers, firms and farmers to optimise production chain. Meanwhile, Vietnam has advantages in agricultural production; however, quality of farm produce has not been under good control, he explained.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Truc, Business Development Manager at the Asia Chemical Corporation, said that Vietnamese firms should take full advantage of the cooperation with the Dutch companies to improve products’ quality and meet demands of fastidious consumers.
At the event, companies from the northwest European country said that the EU is a potential market for Vietnam’s electronic spare parts and products, coffee, rice and seafood. However, Vietnamese firms must ensure quality standards and transparency in information.
The Netherlands is currently the largest trade partner of Vietnam in the EU with bilateral trade reaching 2.9 billion USD in the first five months of 2017. It is also one of the biggest EU investors in Vietnam with total investment worth nearly 8 billion USD.
VNA
