With Flemish prime minister Geert Bourgois, 17 agro-food companies and VLAM will take part in a trade mission in Vietnam. The goal of the mission is to strengthen the presence of the agro-food sector in Vietnam. The Belgian potato processors are already well represented. Nearly 40 per cent of imported chips in Vietnam come from Belgium. The companies representing this sector during the mission are: Agrico, Barts Potato Company, Clairebout Potatoes, Lutosa and Belgapom.
Filip Appeltans, Jo Lambrecht, Marc Evrard and prime minister Geert Bourgois
Vietnam is a new market for Belgian fruit. The mission is a first step to build a sales market for Conference pears according to BFV, BelOrta, LTV and VBT. Right now, five per cent of Vietnamese import fruit comes from Belgium. It’s expected the first shipments of Conference pears will arrive in Vietnam in October. “The Conference is unique and inimitable,” says Filip Appeltans of VBT. “The pear can only be grown in Belgium and the Netherlands due to the weather circumstances. Last year, production amounted to 350 million kilograms on more than 10,000 hectares. Conference should become for Belgium what the kiwi fruit is for New Zealand.”
Source: Vilt