Agricultural exports have grown positively every year, but in reality, most Vietnamese agricultural products can only enter easy-going markets, while markets that are more easy-going than the US and EU are also gradually becoming more demanding.

Rice exports have increased rapidly but have not been able to export much to demanding markets with high standards such as the EU, the US, Japan, etc.

Since opening up, especially when Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) and free trade agreements, Vietnamese agricultural products have been exported to the world market more and more, with an increase rate of 20-25% and the value has also increased every year.

However, answering questions from National Assembly deputies, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien admitted: "Vietnamese agricultural products have only been able to enter easy-going markets, while easy-going markets such as China, India, ASEAN, etc. have gradually become more demanding, not to mention the US and EU markets, which have very high standards, making it even more difficult for businesses to export."

The reason why Vietnamese agricultural products have not easily conquered demanding markets is because the production scale is small, the production method is backward, so the output is low, the quality is unstable, and it does not even meet the requirements of the consumer market; lack of planning for planting and farming areas and failure to apply standard technology.

Most agricultural products are exported raw, not much processed, so the value is not high and not competitive enough.

Furthermore, businesses and production lack the spirit of an enterprise, that is, they want to export informally rather than officially, do not pay attention to the stage of building brands, building growing area codes, tracing origins, and even do not want to maintain the market, it is difficult to capture the market but they are willing to give up the market.

As evidence, Mr. Dien said: "It is very difficult for Vietnamese rice to enter the shelves of Europe, but because the consumption output is low, businesses are willing to not sell to Europe, the United States but to sell to India, China and some more lenient countries to sell more output".

"It is difficult to attack the fort but it is even more difficult to maintain the fort, but our export enterprises cannot do this, lacking professionalism", the Minister admitted.

Contributing to the fragmentation and unprofessionalism of agricultural production and export is the lack of synchronous participation of all levels, sectors and localities in implementing the goal of official export.

The proof is that the Official Export Project has been approved by the Government but has not been thoroughly implemented.

In order to export agricultural products professionally, sustainably and systematically, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recommends that it is necessary to focus on planning planting and farming areas, applying production technology to have large enough products that meet standards.

Accordingly, localities and manufacturing enterprises should focus on building and strengthening national product brands instead of local products and brands and enterprises. Focus on granting codes for growing areas, protecting and protecting brands; protecting geographical indications and product quality.

It is necessary to change production practices from selling what you have to producing goods, quickly shifting from informal to formal exports, ministries, branches and localities must help businesses more in exploiting and taking advantage of FTAs.

"The Ministry of Industry and Trade is ready to help promote product brands, connect supply and demand through Vietnam's Trade Offices in 90 countries and territories, and at the same time we will do a better job of early warning and participating in supporting trade defense for exported goods", the Minister emphasized.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with 16 FTAs ​​signed and implemented with more than 60 countries and territories, to date, many large markets have recorded positive changes from Vietnamese agricultural products, but the EU, the US, Japan, South Korea... are still demanding markets with very high standards and constantly changing regulations.

Therefore, if Vietnam wants to boost exports, it needs to overcome existing problems related to rules of origin and quality of agricultural products. Investing in developing sustainable agricultural models and large-scale, high-quality commodity production is the direction that many businesses are aiming for to meet the increasingly demanding needs of the international market.

Source: Dau Tu Newspaper