Food processing industry in Mekong Delta still not attracting investors
Though it is the country’s biggest granary and fishery area, exporting $30 billion worth of products each year, the Mekong Delta still cannot attract major investments. A report of the Ministry of Planning and Investment shows that Vietnam has attracted $290 billion worth of foreign direct investment, while the disbursement has reached $160 billion. However, FDI in food processing industry is modest with $7.6 billion in investment capital and 521 projects. Foreign invested projects in food processing are mostly located in big urban areas such as Hanoi, HCMC, Long An, Binh Duong and Dong Nai. Meanwhile, Mekong Delta provinces, despite plentiful natural resources and labor force and a population of 18 million, remains unattractive in foreign investors’ eyes. Analysts noted that most of the foreign invested projects in the food processing industry are mostly in fields where investors can take back the investment capital quickly, such as raw farm produce processing, drink manufacturing and seafood processing.
