Michael Przytulla of the German Engineering Federation – FoodProcessing and Packaging Machinery Association, said, “It is expected that thedemand for packaged food will rise by 38 percent to 5.4 million tonnes by2020.”
Vietnamese consumers were also increasingly focusing on foodhygiene and quality, with more opting for packaged products instead of buyinggoods at open market stalls, he pointed out.
Tran Viet Dung, deputy director of VCCI Exhibition Service, said the increase in exports of seafood, garment and textiles,confectionary and some other products also pushed up demand for packaging.
Packaging plays a vital role in terms ofprotection, storage and hygienic handling of a product, and akey role in the marketing mix and in defining the character ofproducts, and has a massive impact on sales and purchasing decisions.
"It is vital that brand owners understand its importance tocreate the right packaging," he told at a press conference held on theopening day of the 2017 Propak Vietnam exhibition.
Paolo Lemma, trade commissioner, Italian Trade Commission, said Vietnam’sfood industry had an important role in the economy, significantly contributingto GDP and attracting foreign investors.
"The packaging sector is also one of the most rapidlydeveloping industries, and many foreign suppliers and manufacturers have made aforay into the market," he said.
Przytulla said the increasing demand for foodstuff, processedfoods and beverages and packaging, the rising number of supermarkets as well asthe development of new products and increasing hygiene requirements led to arising demand for state-of-the-art machinery.
“Vietnam is, to a very large degree, dependent on the import ofmachinery and equipment.”
"In 2015 Vietnam spent 392 million euros on imports of foodprocessing and packaging machinery, a 10 percent increase over 2014, withChina, Germany, Japan, Italy, and South Korea being the top suppliers.
"Export-oriented manufacturers in Vietnam favour high-techsolutions to meet international standards and be competitive," he said.
Dung said PROPAK Vietnam, a major annual processing andpackaging technology exhibition, held in HCM City from March 21 to 23, wouldprovide an outstanding sourcing platform for many industries, enhance businessconnections and discover new ideas for production line improvement andexpansion.
The expo features a wide array of cutting-edgeprocessing and packaging machines, technologies and services for the food andbeverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemicals and other industries.
It has attracted more than 400 exhibitors from 28 countries andterritories, including 11 international group pavilions from Germany, China,India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Italy, BT Tee, generalmanager of SES Vietnam Exhibition Services, said.
The vast opportunities offered by the event would be enhanced bythe joint staging of the first Printech Vietnam, which serves the converting,package printing and labelling sectors, he said.
Conferences and seminars would be held on thesidelines of the expo, including on water quality and management for foodprocessing and improving the quality of rice and rice-based products.
The event at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, jointlyorganised by SES Vietnam Exhibition Services and VCCI Exhition Service,is expected to attract more than 7,500 trade visitors.-VNA