Dole Viet Nam has named U&I Agriculture Corporation as the sole distributor of its bananas in the Southeast Asian country, according to website Vietnam News.

Dole Viet Nam is a subsidiary of major produce grower and marketer Dole Asia Holdings Pte Ltd, owned by Japan's Itochu Group.

Johann Albano, the parent company's vice president for Asian business development, was quoted as saying the deal would "further strengthen our position as one of the leading providers of quality bananas in the Vietnamese market."

He reportedly said U&I became the first banana producer in the country to be certified for global good agricultural practices.

Dole first starting selling in Vietnam in 2009.

Last year, Itochu announced plans to invest JPY6 billion (US$57.7 million) in subsidiary Dole International Holdings to improve banana farming methods and increase productivity in the Philippines.

Publication Nikkei Asia Review reported the capital would be injected through fiscal 2018 in a bid to lift banana production 60% by 2020.

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