HCMC – The northern upland province of Hoa Binh yesterday, March 19, shipped its first batch of 20 tons of newly harvested sugarcane to the U.S.

A ceremony was co-held by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Tien Ngan Trade and Investment Company to mark this shipment, the local media reported.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dinh Cong Su, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the province’s first shipment of sugarcane is expected to pave the way for more local farm produce to be shipped overseas.

According to Nguyen Huy Nhuan, director of the provincial Department Agriculture and Rural Development, sugarcane can generate high economic value and has great potential for export.

The first shipment of 20 tons of fresh sugarcane was a result of four-month negotiations between Tien Ngan Company and its U.S. partner.

Over the years the company has exported close to 100 tons of sugarcane to the European Union and South Korea.

Nguyen Le Diep, director of the company, has proposed that the province’s Lac Son District create favorable conditions for the firm to develop a farming area covering 10-12 hectares to grow sugarcane, and invest in infrastructure for purchasing, processing and packing sugarcane.

The company is set to export some 300 to 500 tons of sugarcane to foreign markets this year, Diep said.