Pepper, one of the key agricultural products for export of Vietnam (Source: VNA)HCMCity (VNA) - The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) not onlyopens the door wide for Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquaculture exports, but alsopromotes the country's agricultural sector to improve its competitiveness, accordingto experts.
To take advantage of opportunities to serve sustainable development, Vietnam'sagricultural sector needs to take measures to cope with challenges, they noted.
According to Nguyen Son Tra from the Multilateral Trade PolicyDepartment under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the EVFTAis especially significant for Vietnam's agricultural export sector because in mostof the FTAs that the country has signed, agricultural and fishery products arealways considered sensitive and Vietnam’s partners are very prudent when openingtheir door.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit & Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), said Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit exports to the EU have increased steadilyover the past few years, but it only accounts for about 3 percent of the country’stotal export turnover of vegetables and fruits.
Nguyen said the two difficulties facing Vietnamese vegetables and fruits in theEuropean market are high import taxes and strict technical standards,especially regulations of chemical residues.
Apart from increasing export turnover, the EVFTA will also create a drivingforce to attract foreign investment, especially from Europe, into Vietnam'sagriculture, thus increasing the value of Vietnamese farm produce in asustainable way.
Nguyen said in order to conquer the EU market, Vietnamese farmers andagricultural enterprises need to improve the quality of farm produce, through buildingmaterial areas and strictly controlling farms under clean and safe productionprocesses.
Attention should be paid to luring investment into technology application andprocessing and deep-processing equipment to increase the value andcompetitiveness for products.
For a large and diverse market with constant change of consumption trend likethe EU, Vietnamese businesses must focus on building brands and developing newproducts with high added value.
Expertsemphasized that, with the EVFTA in particular and the new generation FTAs ingeneral, Vietnamese firms should actively seek cooperation opportunities withforeign partners, participate in chains of large-scale production and supplylinks./.
VNA
