Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – VNFruitVegMarket -Vietnam Agri Wholesale Platform on September 3 announced the development of an online agricultural wholesale market aimed at expanding trade links between Vietnamese agricultural producers and buyers in Singapore.

The announcement was made at a forum on green transition held in Ho Chi Minh City by the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion.

Le Ngoc Nguyen, a representative from VNFruitVegMarket, said the platform, the first of its kind, is expected to become operational by the end of September 2026, offering flexible wholesale purchasing options. Buyers will be able to source Vietnamese agricultural products in quantities ranging from a single carton or pallet to large orders, with product information and pricing policies made transparent. The online marketplace is designed to broaden access to Vietnamese produce among a wider range of buyers in Singapore, including small and medium-sized enterprises, retailers, restaurants, food and beverage businesses, distributors and other trading partners, rather than focusing only on traditional large-scale import orders.

Beyond online transactions, VNFruitVegMarket will connect with warehousing facilities in Singapore to support storage, consolidation, distribution and domestic delivery. The platform will also integrate technology tools tailored to agricultural trading, she said.

A group-buying mechanism will combine demand from multiple buyers to optimise order volumes and costs, while a multi-dimensional auction system will enable more flexible transactions based on supply, demand, volume and timing.

Artificial intelligence will also be used to analyse market demand and supply plans, helping reduce the risks of shortages and excess inventory. Transparent information on supply and prices will allow buyers to access reliable details on products, specifications and available volumes, she added.

Nguyen said Vietnam has a diverse agricultural supply, but its products still face challenges in reaching international markets, including buyer connections, order volumes, logistics, inventory management and distribution speed in destination markets.

She said a flexible trading platform capable of addressing these supply-chain bottlenecks is needed to boost export efficiency.

Singapore, meanwhile, has strong demand for imported food and agricultural products and is geographically close to Vietnam, offering advantages for the transportation of fresh produce. Its high standards for quality, food safety, traceability and professional trading also make it a demanding but potentially important market for Vietnamese products.

Meeting Singapore's standards could provide Vietnamese agricultural products with a foundation for entering other markets, Nguyen noted./.