The 37th International Food and Beverage Exhibition (Foodex Japan 2012) was opened at Makuhari Messe exhibition centre in Japan’s eastern province of Chiba on Mar. 6.

The exhibition attracted the participation of more than 2,000 enterprises from 72 countries and territories, including 11 Vietnamese companies from various regions. The attending enterprises are all rich in experience of commercial promotion for agriculture, foods and beverage products, as well as competence in manufacturing and export.

At this year’s exhibition, Vietnamese companies display their strength in agriculture products such as coffee, vegetable, processed foods and fruit juice.

Dao Van Ho, Director of the Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said this is an important event to the food and drink processing sector of Vietnam and a chance to step up exports to Japan .

He expressed the hope that through the exhibition Vietnamese enterprises will find new trade partners and expand their cooperation through signing valuable export contracts.

In a related activity, MARD in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and Japan ’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries held a conference to foster export of agro-forestry and fishery products to Japan . Other meetings between MARD, Vietnamese companies and many Japanese associations and enterprises were also held.

First held in 1976, Foodex Japan has become the biggest annual food and beverage exhibition in Asia .

Foodex Japan 2012 will run until Mar. 9.