France to export potatoes to Vietnam

A shopper inspects potatoes at a Co.opmart supermarket in HCMC. France will ship 3,000 tons of potatoes to Vietnam in the first quarter of next year - PHOTO: THANH HOA

Ho Chi Minh City - France will ship 3,000 tons of potatoes to Vietnam in the first quarter of next year, said Alexandre Bouchot, agriculture affairs counselor at the French Embassy in Vietnam.

At a press conference on Vietnam Foodexpo 2017 on November 8, Bouchot said Vietnam would issue a license for potato imports from France next week.

France has submitted potato quality and safety certificates to Vietnamese authorities. Vietnam’s inspection delegations have been brought to France to look into French potato farming and processing.

Vietnam now imports potatoes from China, the U.S. and India to meet strong local demand, Bouchot added. If France successfully exports potatoes to Vietnam next year, it will become the first European country to sell the commodity to Vietnam. France has more than 400 species of potato, so it can meet the diverse demand of Vietnamese consumers.

After apple and kiwi, potato is the third agricultural product which France can export to Vietnam.

From August last year to March this year, Vietnam imported 3,000 tons of French apples at VND40,000 (US$1.76) a kilo. France expects to increase the volume to 5,000 tons and the price to a maximum of VND50,000 a kilo.

French apples are available at big retail stores such as Big C, Aeon, Lotte Mart, Co.opmart, Satra and Vinmart.

France this month will organize the French Month in Vietnam to promote its food and farm produce. In addition, a French Week program is being held at 39 supermarkets in Hanoi and HCMC until next month