Vietnam and Argentina step up foodstuff trading
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