Many foreign businesses have signed commitments to purchase agricultural products from the Central Highlands.

More than 20 businesses from countries such as China, Singapore, Australia, and South Korea will sign commitments to purchase agricultural products from the Central Highlands.

On the morning of December 15th, the Dak Lak Department of Industry and Trade organized a program to bring a delegation of foreign businesses to Vietnam for trade and purchasing in the Central Highlands region .

There are many risks associated with relying on fixed markets.

In his opening remarks at the conference, Mr. Nguyen Hai Trieu, Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Industry and Trade, emphasized that the climate and soil of the Central Highlands are very suitable for industrial crops such as coffee, rubber, cocoa, pepper, mulberry, and durian. Among these, coffee is considered the key industry.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Trieu, Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Industry and Trade, speaks at the program. Photo: Vu Long

However, Mr. Trieu acknowledged that, despite its potential, the Central Highlands region's export turnover remains modest. In the two years 2023-2024, after the post-Covid-19 recovery period, the total export turnover of the entire region reached approximately 4.6 billion USD, using less than 1% of the country's total export turnover. In 2023 alone, it reached nearly 3.6 billion USD and in 2024 approximately 7 billion USD, equivalent to more than 1% of the country's total export turnover. Exports mainly consist of agricultural products, with Dak Lak leading the region with a turnover of nearly 1.7 billion USD, thanks to the strong increase in value of many items, especially coffee.

The scale of agricultural production and processing remains fragmented, lacking centers for advanced processing, resulting in primarily raw products with low added value for export. Agricultural product quality is inconsistent, easily encountering technical and trade barriers. Links between key players in the value chain are weak. In particular, production and export are heavily dependent on natural conditions and global market fluctuations; for example, coffee is dependent on Europe, and rubber on China, leading to increased risks and negative impacts when markets fluctuate.

Agricultural products from the Central Highlands are on display at a program organized by a delegation of foreign businesses visiting Vietnam for trade and purchasing. Photo: Vu Long

“ The Central Highlands region is facing many challenges in the industrial sector, including a shortage of high-quality human resources, weak logistics infrastructure, and incomplete facilities. Weak intra-regional linkages and a lack of synchronized investment lead to a lack of value chains. These limitations create barriers to domestic trade promotion and the development of exports of goods and services to the world,” said Mr. Nguyen Hai Trieu.

Therefore, the Deputy Director of the Dak Lak Department of Industry and Trade emphasized that, in order to achieve the above goals in the long term and in the new domestic and international context posing new challenges to the region's development, a new mindset, a new vision, and a new development attitude are required. This involves proposing new, breakthrough steps to leverage the region's particularly important position and role, and more effectively exploit its development potential and advantages; while continuing to build upon the great achievements already attained, overcoming existing limitations and weaknesses, and surmounting new difficulties and challenges.

Seeking and expanding export markets.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hai Trieu, the program is organized to effectively implement the policy on regional linkages, providing production, export, and consumption activities for goods from the Central Highlands region to regional and international markets. The program supports Central Highlands businesses in finding partners and expanding export markets ; it also creates conditions for businesses to connect, learn, and exchange experiences in brand promotion, product and service development, technological innovation, and improving quality and competitiveness in the trend of integration.

Bananas from Dak Lak are exported to China. Photo: Vu Long

Through this program, local businesses are introduced to and directly connected with foreign importers; thereby promoting the image of the land, people, investment potential, and tourism of the Central Highlands. Trade promotion activities are harmoniously combined with investment and tourism promotion, contributing to attracting resources for development in the provinces and cities of the region. It is expected that the program will attract more than 20 foreign purchasing, distribution, and import/export businesses from China, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, etc., along with more than 80 suppliers from the Central Highlands.

The highlight of the program is its B2B business networking activities, supporting businesses in establishing strategic partnerships, facilitating negotiations on pricing and cooperation terms, and aiming for high-value orders and long-term contracts. Through this, businesses strengthen their linkages, proactively manage distribution, ensure stability and consistency in production and supply; and simultaneously improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance their ability to respond to increasing market competition.

According to the Dak Lak Department of Industry and Trade, alongside the main event, there will be activities to display, introduce, and promote products from suppliers of goods and services in the Central Highlands region to foreign import businesses.

Vu Long

Source: https://congthuong.vn/nhieu-doanh-nghiep-nuoc-ngoai-ky-cam-ket-mua-nong-san-tay-nguyen-434805.html