A delegation from the National Agro Forestry Fisheries Quality Assurance (NAFIQAD) of Vietnam has visited Argentina to boost trading in food products between the two countries.

During the visit, which ended on December 7, the delegation led by NAFIQAD vice Director Tran Bich Nga attended a working meeting with the National Food Safety and Quality Service of Argentina (SENASA).

The Vietnamese side wanted to study Argentina ’s food safety management system, including regulations and activities to test produce made by businesses, and procedures to check and certify foodstuff exported to Vietnam .

The delegation visited a number of seafood farming and processing units, and animal husbandry, slaughter and processing facilities to examine hygiene conditions.

In August, a SENASA delegation made a working visit to Vietnam , during which it studied Vietnam ’s aquaculture safety and control system, and inspected a number of seafood processing units to look at their food hygiene conditions and safety.

Vietnam and Argentina are striving to reach mutual recognition of their food safety authorities, as well as lists of export businesses to boost foodstuff trade.

According to SENASA, Argentina grossed 581 million USD exporting plant and animal produce to Vietnam last year, down by 3 percent from 2010. Meanwhile, the country spent nearly 3.3 million USD on imports of agricultural and animal produce from Vietnam , up 117 percent./.VNA