Vietfish 2017 kicks off in HCM City

The 2017 Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish) opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, on August 29, with seafood producers and exporters from 15 countries in attendance.

The 2017 Vietfish opens at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City on August 29.
The 2017 Vietfish opens at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City on August 29.

The expo, themed “Asia’s Home of Seafood, features over 350 booths showcasing seafood products and machinery and equipment for aquaculture by over 200 exhibitors from Vietnam and foreign countries, including, Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Germany, and Denmark.

Opening the event, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam highlighted the significant role of Vietfish over the past 18 years, stating that it has been an effective marketing platform to promote Vietnamese aquatic products to international consumers.

A series of activities will also take place on the sidelines of the exhibition, including a cooking show, the launch of new products and an aquaculture seminar.

The annual event is held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers and will run until August 31.

Seafood exports have contributed to 6-7 percent of Vietnam’s total export revenue and 4-5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Products over the past few years.

Exports of seafood hit US$3.5 billion during the first half of 2017, up 14.1% from the same period last year.

Vietnam is now one of the world’s top five seafood producers with products being exported to 165 countries and territories worldwide.