Vietnamese aquatic products strive to regain confidence in Europe

Shrimp processing for export (Source: VNA)

Brussels (VNA) – Vietnam is taking part in the 25th Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium, aiming to convey the diversity and quality of Vietnamese aquatic products and seafood to customers in Europe and across the world.

At the exhibition held from April 25-27, Vietnam’s pavilion with the theme “Vietnam - Asia’s home of seafood” is displaying products of 25 aquatic and seafood product processing and export companies, including pangasius, shrimp, tuna, tilapia, octopus and squid.

The pavilion has attracted many foreign businesses which came and shared experience in trading aquatic and seafood products.

In the context of a pangasius crisis in Spain and the Carrefour supermarket chain ceasing to sell Vietnamese pangasius, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a press conference at the exhibition to provide clear information about Vietnam’s pangasius processing and exports to European partners.

In his interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents, VASEP General Secretary Truong Dinh Hoe said that the press conference aimed to create a correct information channel to deal with the communication crisis on pangasius, aiming to increase the export of Vietnamese aquatic and seafood products to Europe.

Alfons van Duijvenbode, a Dutch consultant, said that European consumers have a bad impression of Vietnamese pangasius due to wrong information in social media.

He suggested the Vietnamese aquaculture industry and enterprises interact more with consumers to provide them with exact information about the products’ quality.

Also at the event, Vietnam held other trade promotion activities, including a dialogue for shrimp value chains and a programme for visitors to try Vietnamese seafood.

The Seafood Expo Global, the biggest of its kind in the world, drew the participation of over 1,600 exhibitors from 77 countries and territories this year. It is expected to attract more than 26,000 visitors and exporting and trading enterprises from 144 nations and territories