IFC supports exports of high quality fruits
Hanoi (VNA) – The IFC, a member of
the World Bank Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Plant
Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
to support efforts to expand export markets for Vietnam's high quality fruits.
Over the next four years, the IFC will collaborate with the
department to expand shipments of international-standard produce such as dragon
fruit and passion fruit, which have the fastest growth in high
value markets.
Although Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports tripled from 2013
to 2018, most products are still exported through informal channels at less
competitive prices due to incomplete quality standards.
To address this restriction, the two sides will work together to
improve the legal framework and public services to open new export markets.
They will also endeavour to improve the quality of dragon fruit and passion
fruit by updating and implementing plant quarantine and traceability regulations
in accordance with international practices and the requirements of importing
countries.
When tariffs are no longer a trade barrier thanks to free trade
agreements, the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary requirements is
extremely important for Vietnamese agricultural products to penetrate overseas
markets, according to Director of the Plant Protection Department Hoang Trung.
Based on cooperation with the Australian Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade, the Japanese Government and the Korea Green Growth Trust
Fund - part of the World Bank Group, the IFC will support Vietnam to implement
an online system of requirements, involving exports of dragon fruit and passion
fruit by 2022, he added.
Vietnam exported 836 million USD worth of fruit and vegetables in
the first quarter of 2020, a year-on-year decline of 10.9 percent, according to
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
China continued to take the lead with over 300 million USD, down
29.4 percent compared to the same period last year. The sharp decline was
attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, other markets recorded slight year-on-year growth from
January-March, such as Indonesia with 2.1 million USD compared to only 164,800
USD in the same period in 2019, Thailand 35.2 million USD against 7.6 million
USD one year ago, Laos 9.6 million USD compared to 2.6 million USD last year,
Russia 8.2 million USD against 2.4 million USD in the same period last year,
and Cambodia 885,300 USD from 340,000 USD from one year ago./.