Processing seafood for exports (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Japanese food businesses
are seeking to increase their presence in Vietnam, according to Dau tu
(Investment) newspaper.
Early this year, the Japan Best Foods company
poured more than 14 million USD into processing and preserving meat products at
Long Duc industrial park in the southern province of Dong Nai.
The CLK Cold Storage Company Limited – a joint venture
between Cool Japan Fund, Japan Logistics Systems and Kline Group – also
recently injected 18 million USD to build a cold storage facility in the
southern province of Binh Duong.
Naoki Saka, Director General of CLK Cold
Storage, said the establishment of a cold supply chain is essential to meet
rising demand for food safety.
A delegation of nearly 20 Japanese businesses,
including those active in food processing, recently arrived in Ho Chi Minh City
to explore investment opportunities.
According to Tatsuhiro Shindo, Vice President of the Japan
External Trade Organisation (JETRO), Japanese companies are interested in
Vietnam, especially its southern region, including HCM City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau
and Dong Nai.
Meanwhile, Takimoto Koji, Chief Representative
of JETRO in HCM City, told Dau tu reporters that Vietnamese products like dried
fruits, noodle, processed seafood, beef and wine are popular among Japanese
businesses.
Many Japanese food companies have entered
Vietnam via supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants.
Apart from trade centres such as AEON which is
present in HCM City, Hanoi and Binh Duong, the number of FamilyMart and
Minishop convenience stores has been increasing.
Statistics showed that there are more than 1,000
Japanese restaurants in Vietnam, including 659 in HCM City.
In 2016, Vietnam was one of the five biggest
importers of Japanese farm produce and food. The Southeast Asian country spends
nearly 4 trillion VND per year purchasing seafood products from Japan.-VNA