Themed “New Vision for Agriculture: Building and Strengthening Multi stakeholder Partnerships”, the event was attended by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau as well as Indian officials, businesspeople, experts and researchers in the agriculture, finance, insurance and banking sectors.
The forum was designed as a bridge for businesses of Vietnam and India to meet and exchange information, towards the signing of partnership deals and investment in farm produce, contributing to the target of lifting two-way trade to US$15 billion in 2020.
Speaking at the forum, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said that the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and India have recorded comprehensive and practical development and India is currently one of Vietnam’s largest trade partners.
Bilateral trade value from agro-forestry-fishery products hit nearly US$1.2 billion in 2017. Vietnam’s export turnover to India reached US$400 million while its import value stood at about US$800 million.
Vietnam mainly shipped coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, aquatic products to India and imported vegetable and fruit saplings, cotton, maize, pharmaceutical products, medicine and cattle feed, he noted.
Nam also pointed out that Indian investors have yet to pay attention to many areas that Vietnam currently has strong demand, stressing that the two countries hold great potential in agricultural cooperation and rural development.
The deputy minister expressed his hope that Indian firms will bolster investment and technology transfer in agricultural mechanics, agro-fishery processing, organic and high-tech agriculture.
