Relevant agencies need to better promote trade and remove barriers so as to earn 40 billion USD from agro-forestry-fishery exports this year, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam.

Aquatic products are brought ashore in Cai Rong Port of Van Don district, Quang Ninh province

At a meeting of the agriculture ministry’s steering board for farm produce market development on January 31, Nam stressed the need to remove technical barriers in the US and the EU, pay more attention to neighbouring niche markets and boost exports to India and the Middle East.

In 2018, the sector is pressing on with agricultural restructuring with priorities given to developing national signature products, local signature products and the one-village-one-product programme. It will also build value chains for key products to seek suitable markets while enhancing the production of goods with high export potential like shrimp and fruit, he noted.

He asked agencies to address difficulties relating 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. They also need to use technical and diplomatic assets to keep Vietnamese aquatic products’ market share in these markets.

Nguyen Quoc Tri, Director General of the ministry’s Vietnam Administration of Forestry, said the country will soon sign a Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement with 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 the Republic of Korea, Australia and Russia, and bolster cooperation in forestry and herbal material trade with China. Afforestation will be boosted to increase timber supplies and reduce timber imports.

While pork value chains and disease-free animal farming areas will be developed, agencies will work to export more chicken meat and eggs, officials said.

They added agencies will also strengthen marketing strong products of Vietnam like fruit, vegetables, rice and aquatic and animal products in potential markets.

In 2017, Vietnam raked in 36.37 billion USD from agro-forestry-fisheries export, up more than 4 billion USD from the previous year.-VNA