Vietnam needs comprehensive solutions to access agricultural markets

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Notice No. 3387/TB-BNN-VP on May 10, 2024 regarding the concluding remarks of Minister Le Minh Hoan, Head of the Steering Committee for Quality, Food Safety and Market Development, at the first meeting of the committee.

Prior to this Notice, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, as Head of the Steering Committee for Quality, Food Safety and Market Development, chaired its first meeting on April 11, 2024. The meeting saw the participation of Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam - Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, committee members, and representatives from press agencies.

Following reports and presentations by the leadership of the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development (the Standing Agency of the Steering Committee) and other committee members, Minister Le Minh Hoan concluded:

In 2023, the Steering Committee for Quality, Food Safety and Market Development (established by merging the Steering Committee for Agricultural Product Market Development and the Steering Committee for Quality, Food Safety in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries) actively assisted the Minister in coordinating activities among central and local agencies under the Ministry, businesses, and relevant organizations. Accordingly, stakeholders have implemented various tasks aimed at promoting quality, food safety, and market development in agriculture, thereby contributing significantly to agricultural and rural development.

The agricultural sector is expected to face multiple challenges stemming from climate change, market fluctuations, and shifting consumer trends in the near future. Consequently, the promotion of quality, food safety, and market development in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries will require close coordination among ministries, sectors, as well as the active participation from associations, organizations, businesses, and consumers.

In order to improve on the achieved results, the Steering Committee must closely follow the guidelines, objectives, and solutions outlined in documents issued by the Party, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Ministry regarding the sustainable agriculture and rural development. Notably, the Committee needs to focus on maintaining security, food safety; and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products in domestic and international markets. The Steering Committee's agenda and key tasks for 2024 are as follows:

Assign members of the Steering Committee and related Working Groups to disseminate information regarding the Plan to promote quality, food safety, processing enhancement, and market development in 2024 to civil servants, officials, and laborers in relevant agencies and organizations.

Establish strong connections between business activities and industry association initiatives with efforts to access markets, introduce new trade channels, and disseminate market information led by government agencies, ministries, departments, advisory groups, and Vietnamese counsellors, trade offices in foreign countries; Implement comprehensive and multifaceted strategies for market access through international relations that cater to traditional markets, potential markets, and niche markets.

The Standing Agency is tasked with assisting the Steering Committee in providing advice and proposing mechanisms for coordinating activities between various agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and local governments in addressing cross-sectoral issues in the promotion of quality, food safety, and market development in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries

Industry associations play a critical role in the transition from an agricultural production-centric mindset to an agricultural economy-centric mindset. Consequently, they should proactively engage in the following activities: Propose the Ministry of Home Affairs to amend the standard operating regulations for associations, identify the roles of industry associations in building and developing national brands, and enhancing the competitive capacity of Vietnamese products and businesses; Raise awareness, and mobilize members to participate in establishing and sharing standardized, high-quality raw material areas in association with production unit codes and origin traceability; Reorganize industry structures to increase connection between all stages from production to consumption.

On April 9, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Document No. 2555/BNN-CCPT addressed to local Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Departments of Fisheries, the Department of Quality, Processing, and Market Development, as well as seafood processing and export businesses. The document emphasized the implementation of food safety measures and the prevention of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.