MARD works to remove obstacle for agro-forestry-fishery export

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development MARD has devised a 2017 trade promotion plan to remove obstacles in markets and increase exports of agro forestry fishery products.

According to Vo Thanh Do, deputy head of the Department of Processing and Trade for Agro-forestry-fisheries products and Salt Production, the ministry is also working with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to expand markets for the products.

To strengthen rice exports to the largest market of China, the ministry will focus on implementing a protocol on plant quarantine in rice exports to China. It will invite Chinese agencies to conduct capacity evaluation before granting licences to Vietnamese rice producers and exporters, said Do.

The ministry will also hasten negotiations with China to allow more products to be shipped to the market, including fruit, pork, dairy products and seafood.

Do added that the ministry will also work to secure the US’ approval for Vietnamese mango and star apple to be sold in the US.

In the Japanese market, the ministry wishes to increase the allowed levels of antibiotics in Vietnamese shrimp in line with regulations in other developed countries, while lobbying the country to import Vietnam’s red flesh dragon and “thieu” lychee.

To increase exports of fruit, Vietnam will strengthen exports of fresh mango to Thailand, mango, longan, lychee and rambutan to Taiwan (China), and dragon fruit to Australia, while asking the Republic of Korea to import star apple, longan, rambutan and lychee.

At the same time, the MARD will ask Australia to evaluate Vietnam’s safe shrimp production chain and then recognise Vietnam as a disease-free region, said Do.

He also revealed that the ministry will build a roadmap to devise obligatory technical criteria for aquaculture exports, while supporting enterprises to build trademarks.

In January, export turnover of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture was estimated at US$2.54 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 1.4%.