Hanoi Times - Vietnam's farm produce has good quality, but they are still less competitive than Thailand's on the world's market due to the problems in packing, food hygiene and high prices. Nguyen Thai Quan, Director of French Kim Ha Food SARL, which trades a lot of Vietnam-sourced farm produce and seafood with the trade turnover up by 10-15% year on year, said that the biggest problem of Vietnam-made farm produce is in packing. In fact, the quality of Vietnam's farm produce is not inferior to Thailand's, but Vietnamese enterprises still need to do more to meet the requirements of import countries, especially the food hygiene. Western countries always set very high requirements on food hygiene. Producers must meet all the requirements set by importers in different processes, from farming, harvesting, processing and packing. Vietnam's farm produce still cannot meet the said requirements. It is because no organization in Vietnam shows Vietnamese farmers how to follow … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s farm produce inferior due to problems in packing
Farm produce
Not enough frozen farm produce to be exported to the US
In addition to fresh dragonfruit, which has been exported to the US, Vietnam can also sell a lot of other farm produce to the market as frozen products. Everything from citronella and chilies to mushrooms According to Phan Quoc Nam, Director of Tien Giang Trade, Investment and Tourism Promotion Centre, since mid-2007, MT Company in My Tho City has exported nearly 100 processed items to the US that have been made from over 30 plants being grown in Cuu Long River Delta. Vietnam's farm produce items, from high-grade products like Lo Ren star apples, dragonfruit, mangosteen, durian to products like citronella, chilli, potatoes and mushrooms, have been available in big supermarkets in New York, Washington and California. Nam said that all the products have the C/O granted by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and have been quarantined by the US Food Drug Administration (FDA) to be circulated in the US market. Tran Thi Hien, Deputy Director of MT Company, said that Vietnam has … [Read more...] about Not enough frozen farm produce to be exported to the US
Having trademark, value of farm produces will be increased
In Long An province, after having trademark, both value of a lot of farm produces and benefits of farmers and enterprises were increased. Long An is a province which has many strengths with lots of special products such as Nang Thom Cho Dao rice, Chau Thanh dragon fruit, Long Tri watermelon, Ben Luc pineapple and etc. Building trademark to raise the value of farm produces has been specially taken care by not only functional departments in this province but also enterprises, cooperatives and farmers. Since a long time ago, Chau Thanh dragon fruit of Long An province, which had been known for its beautiful red color, sweet flavor, had not been officially acknowledged by customers. In front of this situation, Tam Vu dragon fruit cooperative of Chau Thanh district had suggested this province to conduct and support building "Tam Vu dragon fruit" brand. By the middle of 2011, Intellectual Property Department granted this certificate. Since then, the dragon fruit's output to export of just … [Read more...] about Having trademark, value of farm produces will be increased
Vietnam’s farm produce at a disadvantage because of exchange rates
Hanoi Times - It is reasonable to attribute the difficulties of Vietnam's farm produce exports to the problems of the financial market or the supply-demand imbalance, however the exchange rate should also be seen as an significant factor. Pham Quang Dieu, from the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development Information (Agroinfo), in his article published in the Thoi bao kinh te Saigon newspaper, said that Vietnamese farmers have never before faced such big challenges as they have had in 2008. The global financial crisis has been pushing the price of farm produce down. According to Agroinfo's report, the prices of most of farm produce will increase again in the middle term, but will not bounce back to the previous levels due to the global economic recession. However, Dieu has also pointed out that the fluctuations of the USD/euro exchange rate has also been a reason behind the challenges of exporting farm produce. Over the last one decade, the devaluation of the dollar against … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s farm produce at a disadvantage because of exchange rates
Foreign businessmen’s farm produce collections will be legalized
Foreign businessmen would be allowed to collect farm produce in Vietnam to export to other countries; if the draft circular guiding the goods trading activities have invested enterprises in Vietnam. The draft is now open for public opinions before being promulgated. If the circular with the drafted regulations is issued, it will put an end to the prolonged dispute between domestic farm produce processors and foreign invested enterprises, for the activities of collecting farm produce for export. The draft circular said that foreign invested enterprises, which have the licenses to export products can: 1) export the products allowed, 2) purchase goods from the businessmen, who have business registration certificates for trading or distributing these kinds of products for export, 3) follow customs procedures directly at the customs agencies. The foreign invested enterprises which have the licenses to export products are not allowed to set up units in charge of collecting products for … [Read more...] about Foreign businessmen’s farm produce collections will be legalized