MARD take notes when exporting bird's nest to China

The Protocol on quarantine, inspection and veterinary hygiene requirements for bird's nest products exported from Vietnam to China (after this referred to as the Protocol) has been signed and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Department of Customs of China, and took effect on November 9, 2022.

This is a significant opportunity and motivation for developing the Vietnamese bird nest industry, ensuring stable product output, bringing very high economic benefits, and creating many jobs for local people.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed the Chairman of the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities direct the departments, agencies, sectors, authorities at all levels, and relevant local businesses to take the initiative and coordinate with the relevant units implement the following contents:

For localities: Study the regulations of Vietnam carefully, the contents of the Protocol to have a specific plan, organize the production of processed bird's nest products to meet the requirements, and be approved for export license to the Chinese market.

For the management of swiftlet raising: Organize the development, submit to competent authorities for approval, organize the implementation of the planning on swiftlet raising, ensuring strict compliance with the provisions of the law on animal husbandry, following consistent with the behavior of swiftlets;

Review, evaluate and issue codes to existing local bird nest houses, ensuring compliance with current regulations and requirements of importing countries; make a list of establishments meeting the needs and send it to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Department of Animal Health) to support and guide the organization of production for export; Building an information management system and a database of local swiftlet farming to serve traceability.

For preventing and controlling diseases on swiftlets: Organize effective prevention and control of poultry diseases (such as avian flu, Newcastle, etc.) to avoid spreading the risk of infection to local swiftlets.

Actively monitor and take samples to prove that there are no diseases (Avian Influenza, Newcastle) in poultry flocks and local swiftlets; and also coordinate with the Department of Animal Health to organize monitoring sampling at establishments wishing to export bird's nest products to China (for export to China, it is necessary to prove within a minimum period of 12 months) no Avian Influenza, Newcastle disease, from the date of export onwards).

Building an information management system, a disease database, and locally monitoring Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease results.

For the control and assurance of food safety: Coordinate to organize supervision and take samples for testing to prove the assurance of food safety during the production and processing of bird's nest products at the establishments. The department needs to export bird's nest products;

Building a management information system and a database on food safety supervision in the locality.

For enterprises trading and processing bird's nest products: Carefully study Vietnam's regulations and the contents of the Protocol (sent together with this dispatch) to have a specific plan, organize and produce processed bird's nest products to meet the requirements and be allowed to export to the Chinese market.

Actively review and invest in upgrading the conditions of the chain of production and processing establishments to ensure that they meet export requirements.

Coordinate with central and local specialized agencies to supervise and take samples for testing of Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease at enterprises' swiftlet houses; organize the supervision and sampling of food safety criteria according to the regulations of Vietnam and China.

Building an information management system, product traceability, ensuring traceability from bird nest houses to exported products.

Prepare documents, information and data for export business registration according to China's requirements and the Department of Animal Health guidance. 

For units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

Assign the Department of Animal Health: Continue to negotiate and agree on the form of the Certificate of Veterinary Quarantine with the General Administration of Customs of China.

Every year, develop and submit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for approval and funding, and use funds from the fee and fee collection of the Department of Animal Health and units under the Department of Animal Health to organize the implementation of the plan to monitor of Avian Influenza and Newcastle disease on swiftlets at export hatcheries; plan to monitor food safety criteria according to regulations of Vietnam and China for bird's nest products of enterprises registered for export.

Before March 30 every year, provide the Chinese side with a report on the results of disease surveillance and food safety and the plan for the following year.

Develop a veterinary hygiene control process for bird's nests during harvesting and transportation from the swiftlet house to the processing facility.

To act as a focal point to exchange and unify technical contents with relevant Chinese agencies to organize the implementation of the Protocol; manage the appraisal and provide to the Chinese side a list of bird nest breeders that are eligible to supply raw bird's nests; enterprises preliminarily process and process bird's nest products according to Chinese criteria.

Issue detailed guidance documents (process, steps, methods, ...) for enterprises to research and register to export bird's nest products to China, ensuring clarity, publicity, and transparency in producing, processing and exporting bird's nest products to China.

Assign the Department of Livestock Production: To guide and support localities in reviewing the planning of swiftlet farming areas, the criteria for classification according to the size of the swiftlet houses, and to issue codes to the swiftlet breeders; Develop national data on the number of bird nest houses, the output of nests close to reality, with high accuracy to serve the management and export, and share relevant information and data with the Department of Animal Health to provide at the request of China.

Assign the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development (National Center for Agricultural Extension): To implement programs to promote and introduce Vietnamese bird's nest products at domestic and international forums and fairs.

Develop a plan and organize the implementation of models and training courses on bird nest breeding according to production linkages to meet the requirements of exporting processed bird's nest products.

Coordinating with the Department of Animal Health in guiding and supporting localities and enterprises in building production chains to meet export requirements.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed the Chairman of the People's Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities and units under the Ministry to organize the contents mentioned above.

Building an online system to manage management information, a database on the chain of establishments exporting bird's nest products, epidemics, disease surveillance results, food safety monitoring, serving to seek an origin.