Access to domestic and export markets for Vietnamese agricultural products and consultation on VietFarm standards

Vietnamese agricultural products, especially clean agricultural products of cooperatives and small producers, have a lot of potential for development, reaching the domestic and foreign markets. Vietnam’s clean agricultural products are also making very efforts to assert itself in the market.

On September 14^th, the Vietnam Association of Retailers (AVR), in collaboration with the Center for Development and Integration (CDI) organized a workshop on: Access to domestic and export markets for Vietnamese agricultural products and Consultations on VietFarm Standards.

Hundreds of delegates attended the workshop, including representatives from the Import-Export Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Chairman of the Vietnam Retailers Association, Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, experts of agricultural products, representatives from non – governmental organizations, media, representatives of retailers, supermarkets and a number of cooperatives and producers applying to VietFarm standards.

At the workshop, Mr. Pham Tuan Long – representative of the Agricultural and Forestry Department, Export-Import Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade presented the overview of the market of agricultural products in Vietnam; Requirements of export markets for Vietnamese agricultural products.

Generally assessing the current market of agricultural products in Vietnam, Dinh Thi My Loan, Chairman of the Association of retailers in Vietnam, said that organizing the domestic market and building a sustainable value chain for agricultural products are weak. Supply and demand do not see each other, leading to a loss of price, loss of income, and embarrassment with the solutions of “a rescue economy." In addition, there is no connection needed in the flow of markets, such as the connection between production and consumption, the connection between market demand and production orientation.

Vietnam, with its tropical climate, is a fertile land of numerous delicious and unique agricultural products and fruit. However, due to different perception and definition of clean food and no safe production process, agricultural products have not had high added- value, lost in the domestic market and not recognized in international markets.

At the workshop, two experts (Hoang Son Cong – Member of Executive Committee Association Organic Agriculture Vietnam and Nguyen Quang Vinh – Expert on agricultural standards) presented the general perspective of the system of sustainable agricultural standards in Vietnam and the international standards on agricultural products. In particular, Mr. Vinh has analyzed and compared specifically the compliance with the international market trend of VietFarm standards. Accordingly, Vietnamese agricultural products are produced under the VietFarm process, output products not only meet the market demand but also raise the value of agricultural products, protect the environment and meet the standards of trade fair.

On behalf of the Center Development and Integration, Mrs Ngo Thi Minh Huong – Director of the center introduced the update VietFarm Standards. This is the important content which attract many opinions, contributions of delegates of the workshop. Many comments contributed to the VietFarm standards such as the Vietfarm certificating body; To participate in this certification, what to do and how to do it; Why VietFarm is targeting farmers? What is the difference in quality and price when joining VietFarm? The above issues have been answered Mrs. Huong satisfactorily according to the current roadmap of VietFarm.

In addition, a number of valuable comments were issued at the workshop such as the issue of clean farm produce and the value of agricultural products, improving consumers’ understanding of clean standards, especially the VietFarm standard; enhancing the role of the Retail Association in the areas of product quality control of the Association members, becoming the bridge between retailers and producers …

On the side of the cooperatives producing clean products, four criteria should be focused: 1. Improve product quality, focus on organic production; 2. Environmental friendly products, human. 3 Value Consumption Links, 4 Traceability, Transparency of Information. Code and source code for internet access for organizations and associations.

Định hướng về một thị trường nông sản bền vững, tạo ra các sự kết nối cần thiết, xây dựng bộ tiêu chuẩn theo yêu cầu quốc tế cho nông sản Việt (VietFarm) và hỗ trợ các doanh nghiệp sản xuất nông sản vừa và nhỏ, cơ sở sản xuất, HTX và các hộ gia đình là các nỗ lực ban đầu của CDI nhằm nâng cao giá trị cho các sản phẩm nông sản Việt. Hội thảo Tiếp cận thị trường là nền tảng để CDI tiếp tục hoàn thiện Bộ tiêu chuẩn VietFarm và đẩy mạnh các hoạt động dự án nhằm mục tiêu giới thiệu tới người sản xuất Bộ tiêu chuẩn hoàn chỉnh và hướng tới mở rộng các sản phẩm nông sản theo chuỗi giá trị VietFarm; tiến tới đưa ra thị trường nông sản các mặt hàng Việt Nam sạch và chất lượng.

Orienting a sustainable agricultural market, creating the necessary linkages, developing international standards for Vietnamese agricultural products (VietFarm) and supporting small and medium enterprises , production facilities, cooperatives and households are the initial efforts of CDI to improve the value of Vietnamese agricultural products. Market Access Workshop is the foundation for CDI to continue to improve the VietFarm standard and to promote project activities aimed at introducing producers to complete standards and tend to extend agricultural products on the value chain VietFarm; toward the market of agricultural products Vietnam clean and quality.