Nhan Dan Online – Vietnam’s fisheries sector maintained its key position among groups of export items in the first six months of 2014, making up a large proportion of US$10.78 billion worth of agro-fisheries products exported to the world market.>> Vietfish 2014 to attract over 170 fisheries businesses>> Vietnam’s largest fisheries trade fair opens in HCM City
The 16th Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2014) is taking place in Ho Chi Minh City from August 6-8 and promises to open up numerous co-operation opportunities for both domestic and foreign enterprises. On this occasion, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Nguyen Hoai Nam shared his opinions on issues relating to the trade promotion of Vietnam’s aquatic products.
Q: What factors have helped Vietnam fisheries maintain high growth momentum over the past few years?
Vietnam has experienced a sustainable and long-standing fisheries development process, with its prestigious status as a leading seafood supplier in the world and stability in terms of both aquatic product quantity and quality criteria. In the past time, several countries with aquaculture strengths such as Thailand and Indonesia have faced tough challenges brought about by shrimp disease. This has expanded Vietnam’s exports opportunities for shrimp items and other seafood products.
Vietnam has been shifting from black-tiger shrimp cultivation to white-legged shrimp breeding, creating one more high-value supply source in the context of increasing demand for white-legged shrimp on both domestic and overseas markets.
Tra (Pangasius) fish, in the meantime, remained favoured in some potential markets despite a slight fall in export volumes due to market adjustment and competition from other types of white meat fish over the last six months. Large markets with strong tra fish consumption power such as the EU have resumed stability after a period of decreased consumption.
Domestic business competitiveness has also improved a lot in every aspect regarding quality, production and exports, allowing them to import much more quality materials from India, Thailand, Indonesia and Ecuador to serve the demand for export production and processing and meet a wide range of orders and customers.
Processing canned tuna for exports at the KTC Canned Foodstuff Manufactory under Kien Giang Trade and Tourism Co., Ltd. (Credit: VNA)
Q: World importers usually require different standards for fisheries products based on a system of food safety standards such as ASC, BAP and Global GAP. What do you think about this and the idea that difference in standards is the biggest barrier for Vietnamese enterprises in their international market participation?
This is a trend mainly focused in European and American markets. These are voluntary standards which are required by specific groups of customers. On the one hand, those standards contribute to promoting sustainable production, so as to meet food safety requirements and responsibilities to environment and society. This can be considered an integration approach. VASEP was aware of this through the marketing research over 10 years ago, and started investigating and updating member businesses on global trends and standards.
In addition to their positive impacts, those certifications also bring a lot of challenges to domestic fish farmers and enterprises, including the increase in production costs. The surging expenditure for improving aquaculture farms and factories and mobilising resources to operate those standards will result in rising prices, which is set to weaken competitiveness of Vietnam’s fisheries products on global markets.
There are some ideas that various standards requested by importers hinder Vietnamese businesses’ global integration. However, we need to take a more comprehensive look at those certification standards from the aspect of production and trade. Through these accreditations, Vietnam has shown its commitment to quality aquatic products and its responsibility to environment and society. Yet it is necessary to struggle to help reduce domestic production costs for enterprises and farmers, via enhancing wider and deeper co-operation, aiming to harmonise certifications and cut the number of certifications if they have equivalent requirements and criteria.
Q: What specific strategies has VASEP employed to support enterprises in building and advertising the Vietnam fisheries trademark?
VASEP has tried to implement three groups of activities.
We have maintained constant trade promotion activities by actively taking part in trade fairs, survey conferences and dialogue programmes, aiming to create an impression of Vietnam’s safe and quality seafood products.
We have also paid attention to boosting international co-operation with associations of importers in the US, Australia and EU, thereby creating global trade links and boosting domestic production processes. VASEP maintains regular dialogue with foreign importers and Vietnam’s overseas trade representatives to ensure Vietnamese fisheries products are always at a high level of commitment and transparency.
Information and communication activities are also among VASEP’s priorities. We have been maintaining news channels both at home and abroad. The portal www.vasep.com.vn is currently one of the world’s top three fisheries information channels, according to assessments by international experts and its daily traffic data provided by www.alexa.com.
In August, VASEP will boost the English version information channel on its website in order to promote the image of Vietnam’s fisheries, VASEP member enterprises and seafood products to international friends. Thereby, VASEP will function as a source of support for its member businesses and international partners, providing the latest and most comprehensive information and data about Vietnam’s fisheries.
| Vietfish is among the fisheries sector’s important events held annually to boost trade promotion for seafood products. The exhibition has been maintained and developed over the past 15 years, opening up numerous co-operative opportunities for both domestic and foreign businesses. The 16th edition, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, is currently underway in Ho Chi Minh City from August 6-8, with the participation of more than 170 Vietnamese and overseas enterprises. |
(Source: baotintuc.vn/ Translated by Nhan Dan Online)
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