Vietnamese agricultural products accelerate to capture export market share

Agricultural products in general, Vietnamese fruits in particular, have been exported to many markets around the world, including dozens of key markets. Dr. Le Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that in each different market, each type of agricultural product is imported differently.

Specifically, in the Chinese market, agricultural products such as mango, longan, litchi, dragon fruit, watermelon, banana, rambutan, jackfruit and mangosteen are very popular. However, in the EU market, fresh and processed tropical fruits and juices are preferred by consumers.

Or like the Korean market, fruits such as coconut, pineapple, banana, mango and white flesh dragon fruit are popular. In contrast, the Japanese, Australian and New Zealand markets are very fond of red and yellow dragon fruit, mango, lychee, and rambutan. Particularly for the US market, the dominant fruit groups for export are dragon fruit, longan, litchi, rambutan, custard apple, mango, and pomelo.

Currently, Vietnam’s leading agricultural product import market is still the United States, followed by China, Japan and South Korea. However, it must be seen that, along with advantages, each import market has introduced many different technical barriers.

For example, in fastidious markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, export agricultural products need a phytosanitary certificate. In addition, the consignment of agricultural products must meet technical standards and have a traceability system including the growing area code, the packing facility code and the standard processing factory code. Along with that, the import partner will also send experts to Vietnam to check each shipment before exporting.

As for EU markets such as the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Italy…, exported agricultural products need to meet very high requirements on plant quarantine and food safety in order to be granted a certificate. received before customs clearance. Violations will be warned and returned to the place of origin, destroyed or temporarily suspended from import.

Particularly for ASEAN countries (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Philippines…), Middle East countries, Eastern European countries and India, Canada… they simply need a certificate. Phytosanitary.

Standardization of quality

Regarding the quality of agricultural products, the Plant Protection Department said that it is currently speeding up the implementation of granting planting area codes and packing facility codes to provinces, businesses and households. Up to now, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued 3,646 planting area codes and 1,798 packing facility codes for fresh fruits that are allowed to be exported to foreign markets.

However, according to Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam, Deputy Head of the National Office of Notification and Inquiry on Sanitation, Epidemiology and Quarantine of Vietnam (SPS), there are many countries that constantly change the conditions on sanitation. hygiene and food safety. Therefore, businesses and households need to actively prevent and prepare conditions to meet the new requirements to keep the export market.

For example, the European High Commissioner for Health is currently in discussions with member states and third countries so that imports into Europe are free of Neonicotinoids (a substance that affects the central nervous system). Insect larvae are commonly used in two insecticides Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam). Therefore, enterprises exporting agricultural products should note this move.

Not only that, the strategy “From farm to fork taking into account environmental safety before pesticide residues” is a consumption trend that many export markets are applying. Therefore, in the long run, products containing residues of pesticides that do not meet food safety and hygiene standards will certainly not be imported into markets around the world. Right now, businesses need to “turn around” soon to actively overcome these barriers.

Particularly for the Chinese market (the largest fruit import market of Vietnam), there is also a lot of change in the quality standards of imported agricultural products. Their standards are more demanding on food hygiene and safety. Therefore, farmers, businesses, and cooperatives need to know these changes and make appropriate adjustments.

According to Mr. Hoang Trung, Director of the Plant Protection Department, in addition to fruit products such as mango, longan, litchi, dragon fruit, watermelon, banana, rambutan, jackfruit, pineapple, custard apple and mangosteen… For export, the ministry is continuing to negotiate more markets to open up many other agricultural products such as durian, sweet potato, passion fruit, pomelo. Thus, the export opportunities of Vietnamese agricultural products are being opened up greatly. The remaining problem, businesses and households need to link up to form a large production area, apply VietGAP, GlobalGAP standards, grant planting area codes, packing facility codes … to meet the requirements of customers. markets.