(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On November 18, Ms. Truong Ha Phuong Anh, Director of the Center for Investment Promotion and Business Support (iPEC), stated that during the Ca Mau Province Agricultural and Aquatic Products Trade Promotion Conference 2024, held on November 15, there were 209 direct trade interactions between 42 seafood processing and exporting enterprises, OCOP producers in the province, and five leading domestic retail companies: Central Retail, Saigon Co.op, Kingfood Mart, Bach Hoa Xanh, and Satra Supermarket.
Central Retail signed a contract with Minh Phu Group and a partnership agreement with Thuy Luc Establishment to supply beef to Go! Bac Lieu supermarket. The group also expressed interest in collaborating with Ca Mau’s dried shrimp suppliers through private label branding. Initial discussions have been held with five dried shrimp suppliers: Duong Thanh Cong Household Business, Truc Thuong Cooperative, Lam Dương Cooperative, Ngoc Giau Seafood Trading Co., Ltd., outlining future cooperation plans.
Saigon Co.op has initiated a collaboration with Hang Vinh Nam Can Shrimp Cracker Cooperative, Hung Khanh Trading and Production Co., Ltd., Tai Thinh Phat Farm Cooperative, My Phuong Household Business, and Bom bon Minh Duy Cooperative.
Kingfood Mart is interested in shrimp, crab, and eco-friendly rice products. It is in discussions to collaborate with Du Thai Binh Co., Ltd., Doan Phat Cooperative, AB Seafood Import-Export Co., Ltd., and plans to expand its partnerships with Tai Thinh Phat Farm Cooperative.
Bach Hoa Xanh Xanh has signed a contract with Minh Phu Group and is finalizing procedures to stock products from Hung Khanh Trading and Production Co., Ltd., and Bon bon Minh Duy Cooperative.
Meanwhile, Satra Supermarket is focusing on shrimp crackers and dried shrimp products for the upcoming Lunar New Year season. The supermarket has collected product samples and will continue working with suppliers from Ca Mau for potential collaboration.
In the conferene, importers from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and China expressed keen interest in Ca Mau's offerings.
Notably, Japan’s AEON TOPVALU Group, a leading Asian import-export enterprise, held discussions with five seafood exporters, including Anh Khoa Co., Ltd., Ca Mau Seafood Processing and Services JSC, Quoc Viet Co., Ltd., AB Seafood Import-Export Co., Ltd., and the OCOP producer Nong Thinh Phat Cooperative. The group is exploring opportunities to export shrimp and ready-to-eat products such as caramelized shrimp, shrimp snacks, dried anchovies, and coated anchovies to major markets, including China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. A follow-up survey and direct meetings are planned for January 2025.
Additionally, 101 PTE Vegetarian Singapore (a Vietnamese-origin import company in Singapore specializing in agricultural and seafood products from Vietnam) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ca Mau Seafood Processing and Export Association to connect Ca Mau’s seafood exports to Singapore. Alongside frozen seafood, the company expressed interest in crabs, shrimp crackers, and dried shrimp and is working with Cai Bat Cooperative to export crabs to Singapore.
Interest in dried products as well as shrimp and crabs has led NSK GROCER SDN BHD Malaysia (a major supermarket chain in Malaysia with extensive experience importing a variety of agricultural and seafood products from Vietnam) to establish connections with Tai Thinh Phat Cooperative for crab products and with Nam Can Seafood Import-Export Joint Stock Company for shrimp products to export to Malaysia.
“In addition to discussions held during direct trade sessions, at the exhibition area, after experiencing the products, partners from South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan exchanged contact information with businesses from Ca Mau and collected samples of shrimp crackers, eco-friendly rice, and wild sour mustard pickles,” added Ms. Truong Ha Phuong Anh.