Trade promotion helps boost farm produce export

Hanoi (VNA) – The ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Industry and Trade co-hosted a seminar in Hanoi on February 18 to discuss ways to further promote the export of farm produce to foreign markets.

2016 is forecast to be a promising year for the export of agro-forestry-aquaculture products due to increasing demands in the global market and because Vietnamese businesses will have the opportunity to enjoy tax incentives from free trade agreements signed between the country and its partners.

The US market is said to be the most promising and stable market for Vietnam’s exports in recent years, with commodities as wood and wood-based products, aquatic products, and other farm produce such as cashews, pepper and coffee doing well.

According to Le Van Banh, head of the Department of Processing and Trading Agricultural, Forestry, Aquatic Products and Salt said it is necessary to enhance trade promotion in foreign markets, and further improve the quality of products to meeting strict food safety regulations.

Sharing the view, Vietnamese trade counsellor in Australia Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy noted that Australia is also a potential market for Vietnam’s exports, but it applies stringent regulations on food safety.

Regarding market expansion for Vietnamese fruit, deputy head of the Plant Protection Department Hoang Trung said Vietnam has completed negotiations to sell fruit to various markets such as the US, Japan and Taiwan (China).

Trade counsellors in foreign countries should give more assistance to domestic companies to hasten exports to the markets, he suggested.

According to Vietnamese trade counsellor in Egypt Pham The Cuong, this country is seen as an auspicious export market for Vietnam’s agro-aquaculture products as it always faces water shortages, which is vital to agricultural production. However, almost no trade promotion activity by Vietnam is currently carried out in the country.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam asked trade counsellors keep domestic enterprises updated on information related to market forecasts and regulations on trade barriers, to support them in their exports.

Nam also hoped for a closer cooperation between the two ministries to continue expanding markets for Vietnam’s agro-forestry-aquaculture products, effectively exploiting traditional markets like ASEAN and the EU, and focusing on potential ones in the Middle East and Africa.-VNA