Australian farmers were surprised by Vietnamese wheat flour cakes

A delegation of Australian farmers, including many members from CBH Group - Australia's largest wheat exporter, visited Vikybomi's factory - Vinh Loc Industrial Park (HCMC).

Not only exchange and chat about prices, markets, and transportation..., but 50 farmers from the Australian Wheat Association also experienced, enjoyed, and learned how to process wheat ingredients into many delicious Vietnamese cakes.

Here, Australian farmers were quite surprised when the wheat products grown by their own hands, through the hands of Vietnamese people processing it into powder, can become many interesting dishes in Vietnamese culture.

“When exporting wheat shipments, we really did not think that they would become delicious cakes in Vietnam. This is a wonderful thing that not all farmers get to experience. We enjoy the fruits of our work in a faraway country. This is a wonderful journey for the wheat seeds we produced", said Ms Lynette West, one of 50 farmers from the Australian Wheat Association present at the event.

Mr. Trevor Lucas, a Representative of CBH, said he was very happy to receive a warm welcome from the Vietnamese people. "Vietnam does not grow wheat, but Australia grows a lot of it, so we can cooperate and complement each other," he said.

At the exchange, many Australian farmers chose Vietnamese crepe and Vietnamese bread, while others chose modern cakes to experience this different flavour.

Ms Huynh Kim Chi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vikybomi Company, hopes that the farmers of the Australian Wheat Association who come to Vietnam will not only be impressed with the country of Vietnam but also have a realistic view. From there, they will form a special priority to ensure the best prices when the parties cooperate together, helping Vietnamese businesses compete in the market.

According to Ms Huynh Kim Chi, Australian wheat has long been considered suitable for the Vietnamese market. "We have used this material to create more than 300 product lines that are chosen by consumers. In the next year, our Australian wheat imports will increase by 2-3 times and even more", Ms Chi said and added that Vikybomi uses 1,000 tons of wheat/day in 3 production factories.

Ms Tu Le Thanh Vy, Deputy General Director of International Mix Joint Venture Company, said that the business used Australian wheat ingredients to make bread, a popular type of cake in Vietnam. The company accounts for a large quantity on the market, along with many other types of cakes.

"Due to increasing market demand, and the company's strategy is to increase the market to use Vikybomi's flour. Therefore, we also want to increase imported wheat output," Ms Vy informed. "In 2024, the Intermix Mekong factory will start production, so output will increase, and imported wheat will also increase to meet market demand".

Currently, not only Vikybomi, but many Vietnamese businesses also choose Australian wheat as raw materials for their products because Australian wheat is popular, has a favorable geographical location, and competitive price. In addition, Australian wheat imported to Vietnam is tax-free and has stable quality.

The Indian government will sell an additional 50 thousand tons of wheat and 25 thousand tons of rice under the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS). This move aims to lower the prices of these two essential commodities. As of August 7, in one year, wheat prices had increased 6.77% in the retail market and 7.37% in the wholesale market. Similarly, rice prices in the retail market increased by 10.63% and 11.12% in the wholesale market. The move comes after the Food Corporation of India was unable to find any quantity of rice sold through OMSS.

Until now, the Government has only been able to reduce the load by 0.38% (19,000 tons) of the total 50,000 tons of rice provided by the Government, according to the Government data. The Government's decision was made in the context of a sharp increase in grain prices following the Russian military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022. In addition, irregular rainfall has significantly reduced output.