Vu Van Quang, Chairman of the Board of Members of the Giang Nam Plant Seeds Company, said rice and other agricultural products are much sought after in the Middle Eastern and African markets where the weather and soil are not favorable for agricultural production.

“We want to produce rice seeds in the Middle East and Africa starting with Africa in late 2019 and early 2020. So far we are the only Vietnamese company with a plan to export rice seeds to western Africa.  This will help Africa  expand their rice cultivation area and ensure food security,” Quang said. 

Le Minh Tri, Deputy Director of the Soc Trang Trade Promotion Center, said: “The Middle East and Africa markets hold great potential for Vietnamese agricultural products. But there are still many obstacles in terms of import-export procedures, local customs and culture, and transportation. We need more detail regarding these obstacles from Middle Eastern and African countries.”