Workers checking durians for export in the central highland province of Dak Lak. (Photo: VNA) This risk is particularly pronounced as importing markets tightentheir standards for clean and green practices, necessitating a moreproactive and comprehensive approach from the sector to keep its buyers andmaintain a competitive edge.
Ta Duc Minh, Trade Counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy inJapan, said agricultural export businesses entering the market must fullycomply with Japanese standards, emphasising the importance of ensuring productquality and avoiding violations.
The concerns over a fast and easy mentality were highlighted bythe events of October 2023, where two shipments of Vietnamese durians andpeppers for Japan were compelled to be destroyed due to excessive chemicalresidues. The importing entity, Japan Apple LLC, suffered substantial losses,with the durian shipment alone accounting for a loss of nearly 10,000 USD.Another incident back in September involved the recall of Vietnamese unripedurians by the company.
In response to the challenges faced by Vietnamese exporters,industry experts and insiders said there is a need for vigilance and adaptationto evolving market dynamics. A report from the Vietnam Sanitary andPhytosanitary Notification Authority said that China and the EU sent 11notifications related to Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) betweenOctober 21 and November 21 this year. The EU, in particular, issued 31 warningswithin the first six months of 2023, primarily related to exceeding permittedlevels of plant protection chemicals in agricultural products.
Recognising the pivotal role of leading supply chain entities,they warned domestic agricultural processing companies may lose orders tocompetitors if they keep failing to implement sustainable commitments promptly.Despite Vietnam being among the world's largest exporters of fruits andvegetables, the country's market share in the EU is currently only 0.18%,partly due to non-compliance with the bloc's standards.
Taking the black pepper industry as an example, expertsvoiced their concerns over the necessity for attention to global standards. Bythe end of November 2023, the EU had set regulations on Maximum Residue Limits(MRLs) for 513 active ingredients on black pepper grains, with the US issuingeight. As of now, only about 60% of Vietnam's black pepper producers met theresidue requirements.
In the pursuit of sustainable development, experts said ongoingprojects on pesticide residue should be based on EU and the US standards, alongwith traceability and initiatives for black pepper sources. The set target forthe Vietnamese black pepper industry by 2025, 70% of black pepperexporters will meet the requirements./.
VNA
