The biggest barrier for export of agricultural products and foodstuffs

Failure to comply with regulations of food safety is the biggest barrier for Vietnamese exporting businesses of agricultural products and foodstuffs to the United. 

Failure to ensure food safety makes Vietnamese agricultural products difficult to access large markets such as the US, EU ... Photo: Nguyen Hue.

Favourite, but….

Integration is an opportunity for Vietnamese goods, especially those that we have advantages such as agricultural products and food export to markets. However, enterprises, as well as production and processing establishments, are difficult to access export markets for technical barriers.

This is the comment of Dao Duc Huan, Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) at the workshop "New requirements on standards for agricultural products and foodstuffs in Vietnam" was held by Vietnam high-quality goods business on 23/5

Vu Kim Hanh, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of High-Quality Enterprises, said that Vietnam's agricultural products and foodstuffs are very popular with many countries and the market is very good. , but the lack of two issues is quality compliance and branding.

According to the survey of functional agencies, up to 90% of Vietnam's agricultural products are exported under foreign brand names, about 50 geographical indications and 140 certification marks. Registration of the establishment, protection of intellectual property rights and only a few of which are registered for protection abroad.

Data from a representative of the limited company of the Agricultural Development and Production Investment (VinEco) quoted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's 2016 inspection report, is also a startling number.

Accordingly, the area of cultivation throughout the country increased 57% but the amount of fertilizer, pesticides use increased by 517%. In addition, Vietnam imports an average of 100,000 tonnes of food and feed ingredients each year, equivalent to 1,643 active ingredients, 90% of which are from China, but China allows only 600 active ingredients.

However, this is just "the tip of the iceberg". This shows that there is a heat of toxic chemicals and long residue time, the world has banned to use, but they are still allowed to circulate in Vietnam, "the representative of VinEco said.

Compliance with "general law"

Currently, countries are very concerned about food safety and traceability. For example, the US, 15% of US consumer food is imported from more than 200 countries and territories. The number of food poisonings in the country every year is also quite large.

Therefore, in order to limit risks to consumers, the United States issued the Law on Food Safety Modernization, which contains mandatory requirements for the prevention of risks from unsafe food. Safe production criteria must be required for a business to comply.

For Vietnamese businesses, non-compliance with food safety regulations is the biggest barrier for Vietnamese businesses to export agricultural products and foodstuffs to the United States, "said Herb Cochran, an adviser to the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham) confirmed.

According to Nguyen Kim Thanh, an expert on world food supply and food safety, for the European market, the product requires food safety and must be carried out in series “from farm to dining table ". Therefore, the seller must be more positive in ensuring food safety and hygiene. In addition, they also care about the responsibility of producers.

It can be said that if Vietnam does not meet the stringent requirements on packaging, packing, traceability, quarantine, sampling and continuous inspection of importing countries like the US and EU, it is very difficult for Vietnam to export. Therefore, experts recommend that the issue of ensuring quality standards and food safety should be placed on the top by enterprises.