Along with technical support and promoting green investment, industry associations want to advise agriculture to support the trade of export goods.

Proposals for technical, commercial and investment support

At the meeting between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Agricultural Counselors of more than 10 countries; The national group took place on the afternoon of May 13 with the participation of many associations and key export industries of Vietnam. In particular, the issues of concern to associations and industries are technical barriers, supporting the opening of export markets as well as attracting green investment.

Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam - Deputy General Secretary of Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) - said; The presence of 12 Counselors attending the meeting, this is also the presence of 12 large, key and potential export markets of Vietnamese seafood.

With many free trade agreements (FTAs) signed, this has opened up many opportunities for seafood businesses. Affirming that promoting export trade is a top priority to boost the domestic market, in recent times, VASEP has made many efforts to increase trade with businesses in other countries. Thereby, enhancing cooperation and trade connections between the two sides.

Regarding technology, according to Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, in recent times; Vietnam in general and the seafood industry business community in particular have made great efforts in building quality management to meet market requirements; Since then, products have been present in more than 160 countries and territories. The fact that we maintain regular export activities into very demanding markets such as the EU, the United States... is proof of the quality of Vietnamese seafood. In fact, we do more than that to obtain sustainability and environmental responsibility certifications from markets.

However, currently, many markets are concerned about controlling the use of antibiotics in aquaculture. Therefore, the seafood business community calls for technical support from other countries, in addition to the requirements set out from partners.

Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam cited that, although in recent times, we have made great efforts to meet New Zealand's new requirements. However, New Zealand has a separate agreement with the EU on food safety. This causes seafood businesses to have problems with Health Certificates; Therefore, we need additional support from New Zealand to be able to discuss with the EU and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; so that these product lines no longer have problems related to form or some content specified in the documents. Timely technical support will greatly support seafood trade issues.

Regarding investment, in addition to the fields of food and breeds, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam hopes that there will be more interest from partners around green and circular investment in the coming time.

Regarding the coffee industry, a representative of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association said that the Anti-Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) causes difficulties for Vietnamese coffee exporters. In the context of coffee prices fluctuating strongly, the Association recommends providing guidance and support to create favorable conditions for coffee exports to the EU market.

Meanwhile, with the wood industry, Mr. Ngo Sy Hoai - Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association - said that Vietnam's wood processing and export industry has many advantages. Accordingly, along with highly skilled labor, Vietnam uses legally imported wood and an abundant supply of domestically grown wood to produce traceable products. On the other hand, Vietnamese product designs are also integrating, meeting the needs of the world. Therefore, Mr. Ngo Sy Hoai said, the wood industry business community wants and is ready to cooperate with partners to expand the market for this product line.

Expand agricultural cooperation

From the perspective of international partners, Mr. Juliano Vieira - Agricultural Attaché of the Brazilian Embassy - expressed; Brazil shares common difficulties with Vietnam in the context of a growing population, changing habits, and changing consumer needs.

Therefore, Vietnam and Brazil can share solutions to overcome challenges together. We do not copy solutions but find directions suitable to the characteristics of each country to reduce emissions, reaching the goal of net zero emissions in the near future.

The representative of Brazil said that countries cannot be alone in finding solutions for sustainable development but need to accompany and cooperate with each other.

According to Mr. Ralph Bean - US Agricultural Counselor, responding to climate change is the US's top priority. Climate change is happening and Vietnam is one of the countries most affected in the world.

Regarding the cooperation between Vietnam and the United States in recent times, Mr. Ralph Bean said that the United States supported Vietnam with 4.4 million USD to implement the project of using fertilizer correctly; The project coordinates with Vietnam, through software applications to reduce emissions for livestock,...

In addition, regarding promoting investment from the private sector, Mr. Ralph Bean emphasized the need for Vietnam to strengthen and ensure transparent policies; Because there will be large investments, partners will be interested in specific conditions to consider investing.

Data from the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) shows that Vietnam's agricultural sector currently has supply capacity with export turnover in 2023 reaching more than 53 million USD. Vietnam is a large exporter of agricultural, forestry and fishery products with steady growth. With the export scale doubling over the past 10 years, in the coming time, Vietnam will promote agricultural exports to many markets around the world.

Mr. Le Minh Hoan - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development - emphasized that in each industry there are exchange relationships between Vietnam and other countries; It's not just export or import but a mixture of many products, which are each other's strengths. “No matter what industry, what field, or what country, today the common denominator for all is green growth; sustainable with requirements such as food safety, traceability, geographical indications...", the Minister affirmed.

Sharing with the Agricultural Counselors of more than 10 countries, the Minister also mentioned the development of small farmers, especially in countries with similar conditions to Vietnam. In that context, Vietnam is in need of technical advice or resource support from previous countries. Thereby, realizing the potential and opportunities for agricultural cooperation in the coming time.

According to: Nguyen Hanh - Industry and Trade Newspaper