Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnameseagro-forestry-fishery products are now available in 180 countries andterritories thanks to Vietnam’s increasing global economic integration andimplementation of free trade agreements.

Economic integration has helped Vietnameseagri-products overcome tariff barriers, especially staples such as rice andaquatic and wood products.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement forTrans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has created excellent opportunities forVietnamese agri-products to join global supply chains, according to deputy headof the Agro Processing Market Development Authority (AgroTrade) Tran Van Cong.

It also creates a driver as well as pressure ondomestic businesses to increase exports of processed products with high addedvalues, he added.

According to Nguyen Ton Quyen, Vice Chairman ofthe Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association, other members of the CPTPPare potential export markets of the Vietnamese wood industry.

The Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and TradeVoluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) between Vietnam and the EU isexpected to promote export growth of wood and timber products to major Europeanmarkets.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Ha Cong Tuan said EU is the fourth biggest market of Vietnam,making up 13-17 percent of the country’s furniture export turnover.

Not only creating opportunities in trade ofgoods, integration has enabled the agriculture sector to promote theapplication of science and technology to improve production quality,competitiveness, technical standards and food safety and hygiene.  

Many advanced technical standards including Vietnamese GoodAgricultural Practices (VietGAP), ISO and HACCP in processing have been appliedin Vietnam. National standards on food safety and animal and plantquarantine have been harmonised with international standards, helping thecountry’s’ farm produce penetrate choosy markets.

The Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment has focused on developing foreign markets, prioritising those withhigh export turnover, while removing barriers for export businesses and providinginformation on Vietnamese farm produce and production procedures to foreigncustomers to reinforce their trust.

Last year, the ministry spared no effort to removedifficulties for businesses in the two major markets of China and the EU. 

The ministry sent working delegations to Chinaand hosted and participated in trade promotion activities to introduceVietnamese agri-products.

In the EU, the ministry helped businessesincrease the presence of Vietnamese farm produce at supermarkets.

It also held activities to promote trade ofVietnamese farm produce in Russia, Japan, India and ASEAN countries.-VNA