A conference was held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on July 24 to review a Japan-funded project on strengthening the capacity of inspection system for ensuring safety of agro-fishery food in Vietnam.

The project has been implemented between December 2011 and November 2014 with funding of 4.66 million USD from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Can Tho is the major destination of the project.

Speaking at the event, Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Pham Van Quynh said the locality has completed the building of database management software in the field.

Taking food samples was carried out in 68 food business and production establishments in the city, Quynh noted, adding that 62 among them met requirements on food safety.

According to Nguyen Nhu Tiep, Director of the Department of Management of Agro-Forestry and Aquatic Quality (DMAFAQ) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, his agency has organised nine training courses in Japan for Vietnamese staff working in the field.

In the next three months, more Vietnamese will be sent to Japan to practise the management of laboratories, he said, adding that at the department will issue six standard processes on sample taking and analysis.-VNA