Ben Tre (VNA) - China has high demand for fruits but new measures areneeded to encourage Vietnamese exporters to ship their fruits officially toChina rather than through border trade, a recent seminar heard in Ben Tre province.

According to the provincialDepartment of Agricultural and Rural Development, the province has more than28,000ha under fruits and grows over 300,000 tonnes of various fruits annually.

They not only meetdomestic demand but are also exported to many countries, with some fruits likerambutan and xiem coconut even sold to demanding markets likethe US, Australia, Canada and Europe.

But Nguyen Van Buoi,the department’s deputy director, said China remains the main market andexports are mainly through border trade.

China has officiallyopened its market to eight fruits from Vietnam - mango, longan, banana,litchi, watermelon, rambutan, jackfruit and dragon fruit - while othersare still exported through border trade, he said.

Vo Van Nam, head ofthe provincial Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection,said exports through border gates are highly disadvantageous to both businessesand farmers because usually prices are low, transportation costs are high andthere are risks related to payment.

The province has morethan 20 enterprises involved in processing and exporting agricultural products,mainly coconut and coconut-based products, green skin pomelo, rambutan andlongan.

But they face anumber of challenges like technical barriers in export markets and fiercecompetition from similar Thai products, he said.

Producers have notdeveloped brand names for their products while their trade promotion is notvery efficient, he added.

Ngo Tuong Vy, deputydirector of Chanh Thu Fruit Import and Export Company based in Ben Tre, saidboosting official exports to China requires coordinated efforts by ministries,agencies and localities.

China is no longer an"easy" market and has stricter requirements for farm produce imports,she said.

Her company ispreparing actively to ensure its durian could compete with Thai products and beexported to China, she added.

Buoi from theDepartment of Agricultural and Rural Development said the province’sagricultural sector has developed specific plans to boost official exports toChina.

Initially it wouldco-ordinate with localities to support co-operatives and co-operative groups toimprove their efficiency and encourage and instruct farmers in growing fruitsto VietGAP standards, he said.

It would then inviteexperts to apprise businesses and farmers about plant quarantine and foodsafety regulations in importing countries, he said.

The province hasurged the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to speed upnegotiations with China to enable more Vietnamese fruits to enter the marketofficially.-VNA