Local agro products must join global value chain to advance: official
Local agro products must join global value chain to advance: official
Promoting the integration of Vietnam’s farming sector with the global market, a State official has stressed the need for the country to join the global value chain, identifying it as the only way for Vietnamese agricultural products to compete on the global market, reported vov.vn.
Speaking at a seminar on enhancing the competitiveness of local agricultural items on October 8 in Hanoi, Nguyen Van Trung, head of the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, suggested a number of ways to increase the value of Vietnamese farm produce, including raising awareness among cooperatives and producers on the connection between production and market demand.
Also, local cooperatives and producers have to ensure their farm produce meets standards on food safety and environmental protection to attract long-term contracts that will bolster product consumption. Local farmers have to be fully briefed on standards such as VietGap, GlobalGap and Organic, he said.
Besides this, it is essential to zone areas for farm produce, while documenting farming zones, locations and import criteria.
The competent agencies have to instruct localities to select appropriate staple products to develop brands, collective trademarks and geographical indications as well as for other activities such as trade promotion, market expansion and trademark protection, the official added.
Pham Hoang Van, an expert from the International Financial Corporation, an arm of the World Bank Group, was cited by Thanh Nien newspaper as saying that the local farm produce sector has to improve its quality to enhance competitiveness and value on the global market.
Local vegetables and fruits destined for export have to comply with numerous regulations from three ministries. Meanwhile, high-end and demanding markets such as the European Union, the United States and Japan only focus on products whose quality is certified by international organizations. Accordingly, the relevant ministries and agencies need to establish the full criteria for agricultural products that meet international standards.
