The recent signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which is expected to take effect from early 2020, has opened the door wider for Vietnamese farm produce to make inroads into the more than 500-million people strong market.

Photo: VNA

According to Chairman of the Vietnam Pepper Association Nguyen Nam Hai, Vietnam exports about 40,000 tonnes of pepper to the EU each year, meeting 53 percent of the market’s demand.

Along with pepper, other agricultural products are gaining foothold in EU countries such as fruits, vegetables and cashew nuts.

Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director of the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority (Agrotrade) under the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, said the EU is one of the three biggest importers of Vietnamese farm produce.