vietnam farm

Vietnamese grower-shippers wishing to succeed in Japan must visit the market then tailor their produce offer to meet the exact demands of Japanese consumers, the former Japanese agriculture minister told Tuoitrenews.vn.

In a New Year iinterview with the website, Takebe Tsutomu said Vietnamese shippers could significantly boost returns in Japan if they focused on food safety and the produce the market really wanted.

He said that increasing volumes of Vietnamese dragonfruit, mangoes and bananas were finding their way to Japan, but demand for staple vegetabless, like ginger, carrots, onion and other greens, was huge too. Fruit are only for desserts, he said, while vegetables are used in every meal.

The top priority of Japanese consumers is food safety, he added, so Vietnamese businesses should ensure the land and water used in their production are safe.

Tsutomu said farmers and businessmen wishing to trade with Japan must visit the country to better understand the market they are trying to enter.