Aquatic products are brought ashore in Cai Rong Port of Van Don district, Quang Ninh province (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Relevant agenciesneed to better promote trade and remove barriers so as to earn 40 billion USDfrom agro-forestry-fishery exports this year, said Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam.
At a meeting of the agriculture ministry’ssteering board for farm produce market development on January 31, Nam stressedthe need to remove technical barriers in the US and the EU, pay more attentionto neighbouring niche markets and boost exports to India and the Middle East.
In 2018, the sector is pressing on withagricultural restructuring with priorities given to developing nationalsignature products, local signature products and the one-village-one-productprogramme. It will also build value chains for key products to seek suitablemarkets while enhancing the production of goods with high export potential likeshrimp and fruit, he noted.
He asked agencies to address difficultiesrelating to regulations against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU)in the US and the EU and regulations on tra fish in the US’s Farm Bill. Theyalso need to use technical and diplomatic assets to keep Vietnamese aquaticproducts’ market share in these markets.
[Agro-forestry-fishery exports exceed 3 billion USD in January]
Nguyen Quoc Tri, Director General of theministry’s Vietnam Administration of Forestry, said the country will soon signa Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreementwith the EU to speed up wood exports to this market.
Agencies will also enhance trade cooperation,harmonise regulations on forestry product origin management with those of theRepublic of Korea, Australia and Russia, and bolster cooperation in forestryand herbal material trade with China. Afforestation will be boosted to increasetimber supplies and reduce timber imports.
While pork value chains and disease-free animalfarming areas will be developed, agencies will work to export more chicken meatand eggs, officials said.
They added agencies will also strengthen marketingstrong products of Vietnam like fruit, vegetables, rice and aquatic and animalproducts in potential markets.
In 2017, Vietnam raked in 36.37 billion USD fromagro-forestry-fisheries export, up more than 4 billion USD from the previousyear.-VNA
VNA
