Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese producers need to pay special heed to ensuring food safety and transparencyof production information; building brands and well managing growing area codes for products exportedto China, said Nguyen Nhu Tiep, Director of the Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

China is now the largest importer of Vietnam's vegetables and fruits, and ranks second in importing agro-forestry-fisheryproducts from the Southeast Asian nation. It is seen as a"huge market" for regional and global farm produce, and oneof the most demanding markets with strict requirements on quality, price, brand, and distributionforms for imported goods. This requires Vietnamese exporters to ensure thequality and brand of their products to be able to earn a sustainable foothold in the market.

To maintain and promoteexports to China, Vietnamese enterprises should strictly comply with the General Administration ofChina Customs of China (GACC)’s Decree 248 on the Registration andAdministration of Overseas Producers of Imported Food, which will take effecton January 1, 2022, and Decree 249 on the Administrative Measures on Import and ExportFood Safety, Tiep said.

Deputy General Directorof Dong Giao FoodExport JSC (DOVECO) Pham Ngoc Thanh underlined the necessity to promote and introduceproducts to Chinese customers through joining trade fairs in the country, sayingthis is the fastest way for Chinese consumers to access Vietnamese farmproduce.

Thanh suggested ministries and sectors continue to create favourableconditions for Vietnamese businesses to attend trade promotion programmes forVietnamese farm produce, especially in potential markets.

Huynh Tan Dat, Deputy Director of the MARD’s Plant ProtectionDepartment, said producers need to ensure strict compliance with instructionsfrom production, harvesting, preliminary processing and processing as well as packaging,transportation and distribution, adding that this is a prerequisite for expanding exports.

He requested businesses, organisations and individuals to cooperate moreclosely with the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; and keepclose watch on China’s new regulations.

According to Le Thanh Hoa, Director of the Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary NotificationAuthority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam Office), Vietnam earned over53 billion USD from exporting agro-forestry-fishery products in 2022, includingover 14 billion USD from the Chinese market.

Vietnam has exported 16 farm produce to China,including banana, durian, mangosteen, black jelly, rice bran, rice, sweetpotato, watermelon, dragon fruit, mango, jackfruit, longan, lychee, rambutan,chili, and passion fruit. The MARD has been negotiating with Chinese authoritiesfor opening the door for other products such as avocado, pomelo, pineapple,custard apple, and cardamom./.