WORKSHOP “ACCESSING TO THE VIETNAM STANDARD MARKET”

How can Vietnamese agricultural products affirm their position in the world AND EXPORT FOR VIETNAM AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS AND CONSULT THE MINISTRY with the quality and trust of the market through the VietFarm standard system?

On September 14, 2018, the Vietnam Association of Retailers (AVR) in collaboration with the Center for Development and Integration (CDI) organized the Workshop: Accessing domestic and export markets for Vietnamese agricultural products. Nam and consulted with VietFarm Standards. This is a set of standards according to international requirements for Vietnamese agricultural products. The Vietfarm program, sponsored by Irish Aid, helps small and medium-sized agricultural producers, producers, cooperatives and farmers improve their lives and livelihoods by adding value to agricultural products. Vietnamese products.

Delegates participating in the workshop, including representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam Retailers Association, Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, standards experts, representatives of relevant NGOs , the press, representatives of retailers, supermarkets and some cooperatives, agricultural production facilities according to VietFarm standards.

At the workshop, Mr. Pham Tuan Long – representative of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Import-Export Department, Department of Import-Export, Ministry of Industry and Trade presented the current situation of Vietnam’s agricultural product market; requirements/regulations of the export market for Vietnamese agricultural products.

General assessment of the current status of the agricultural product market in Vietnam, Ms. Dinh Thi My Loan, President of the Vietnam Retailers Association, said that organizing the domestic market and building a sustainable value chain for agricultural products are still weak. Supply and demand do not meet, leading to a situation where the harvest is devalued, the crop is lost, and the price is confused with the solutions of “a rescue economy". In addition, there is no necessary connection in the flow of the market such as the connection between production and consumption, the connection between market demand and production orientation.

Mr. Doan Thanh Lam – Representative of World Vision shared: “VietFarm standards have many requirements and regulations suitable for Vietnamese agricultural products. However, to apply to small and micro-manufacturing establishments, this standard is still quite difficult for people to implement. Therefore, it is necessary to have a set of specific instructions and tools for each agricultural product industry, concise and easy to understand for production facilities.”

Mr. Pham Tuan Long – Representative of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Import-Export Department, Department of Import-Export, Ministry of Industry and Trade said: “There should be specific standards for the process of packaging and labeling products in order to perfect the production process. .”

Mr. Hoang Son Cong – Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association said: “First, VietFarm Standards must reach out to consumers and make consumers believe in the standard. VietFarm standards must be Vietnamese standards. In addition, the standard should educate consumers and manufacturing facilities clearly about maximum chemical residues, and the substances that are allowed to be used in products.”

At the workshop, the general picture of the system of sustainable agricultural product standards in Vietnam and the international standards for agricultural products were discussed by two experts, Hoang Son Cong – Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, and Mr. Quang Vinh – An expert on agricultural standards presented. In which, Mr. Vinh analyzed and compared specifically the suitability with international market trends of the VietFarm Standard. Accordingly, Vietnamese agricultural products are produced according to the VietFarm process, the output products not only meet market demand but also improve the value of agricultural products, protect the environment and meet fair trade standards. commercial.

On behalf of the Center for Development and Integration, Dr. Ngo Minh Huong introduced the updated VietFarm Standards. This is the central content that attracts many discussions and contributions of the Conference’s delegates. Many comments for VietFarm Standards on Vietfarm Certification Authority; To participate in this certification, what to do and how to do; Why does VietFarm target farmers? Is there any difference in quality and price when joining VietFarm? The above issues have been satisfactorily answered by Ms. Huong according to VietFarm’s current roadmap.

In addition, many valuable comments were given at the Workshop on the issue of producing clean agricultural products and improving the value of agricultural products such as improving consumers’ understanding of specific clean standards. especially VietFarm standards; Some comments also said that clean agricultural product standard systems need to build a consumer database, from which to plan production. Traceability data is also forcing manufacturers to change to meet consumer and market expectations.

To meet the standard, four criteria need to be focused on: 1. Improving product quality, focusing on organic production; 2. Environmentally sustainable products and production; 3. Responsible and fair production and trade for people; 4 Traceability, transparency of information.

The workshop had the participation of two representatives of the cooperative currently producing according to VietFarm standards, Ms. Ha Thi Nu – a representative from Muong Do – Son La Clean Tea Cooperative and Mr. Vo Khanh – a representative of the Coffee Production Trading Service Cooperative. and Cau Dat Agricultural Products – Da Lat. Evaluation of VietFarm Standards, two delegates said that VietFarm not only brings high economic value to Muong Do tea and Cau Dat coffee products, supports the introduction of products to international markets, but is also important. more has helped them to raise awareness about the production process of clean products and the awareness of environmental protection in production.

After the seminar, CDI continued to perfect the VietFarm Standards and promote Vietfarm activities, aiming to expand agricultural products according to the VietFarm value chain; to bring to the market clean and quality Vietnamese agricultural products.