Nghe An: Estimated export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products in Nghe An in 11 months reached over 271 million USD

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of November 28, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nghe An branch, organized a workshop on Solutions for developing the consumption and export market for agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

Attending the workshop were Dr. Nguyen Quoc Toan - Permanent Deputy Director of the Department of Processing and Development of Agricultural Products Market - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives of the Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, VCCI Nghe An and more than 70 delegates from districts and enterprises operating in the field of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in Nghe An. Photo: Quang An

At the workshop, delegates heard an overview of Nghe An's advantages and potentials in agricultural production and consumption. According to the report of the Department of Industry and Trade, in the first 11 months of 2017, with the participation of 35 enterprises, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products of Nghe An province is estimated at 271.35 million USD, 2.07 times higher than the same period in 2016, accounting for 45.7% of the total export turnover of goods....

Exported agricultural, forestry and fishery products are quite rich and diverse with more than 15 products/groups of products, including: Fresh fruits and processed fruits, wood chips, pine resin group, pine and fir essential oils, wood and wood products, rice, tea, coffee, tapioca starch, pepper, seafood products,...

Most notably, the export of fresh fruit and processed fruit reached 128.09 million USD, 4 times higher than the same period in 2016.

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Toan - Permanent Deputy Director of the Department of Processing and Development of Agricultural Products Market - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development spoke at the workshop. Photo: Quang An

However, in reality, Nghe An's agricultural, forestry and fishery exports still have many limitations. Many agricultural processing facilities still operate in the traditional manual form. Most of the products have low economic value and have not yet created their own brands, leading to low competitiveness in the market. Most of them are primary products, the number of highly processed industrial products with high market value is still small.

The export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products is currently facing many difficulties: There are products and areas with abundant raw materials but they are facing difficulties in processing and finding outlets for the products. As for products with a consumer market, the raw material areas do not meet the demand, the scale of goods is small, and the cost is high. In addition, many export products of enterprises still depend on the supply of goods from neighboring provinces and foreign markets such as: Wood chips, cassava starch, rubber, rice, passion fruit raw materials, wood products...

Overview of the workshop. Photo: Quang An

At the workshop, businesses raised difficulties and discussed solutions. Representatives of Duc Phong Co., Ltd. shared about the difficulties in production and consumption of rattan and bamboo products and handicrafts. Bamboo and rattan materials are gradually becoming scarce in the province, the import price is expensive, the market is fiercely competitive, product design is limited compared to other countries...

To survive, the company has chosen its own path, which is to produce unique, special products, not following the product lines already on the market. Besides, it actively participates in international fairs to know the production trends of products for the following years.

A representative of Xuri Viet Trung Seafood By-product Processing Co., Ltd. said that Vietnamese fishmeal exported to China must meet 5 standards set by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, so it is a big challenge for seafood processing companies because of the strict inspection process and strict technical barriers. In addition, factories producing and exporting in the informal direction have significantly affected the consumption market of companies exporting officially.

Nafoods International LLC shared: businesses need to focus on developing specific products and developing along the value chain.

Passion fruit grown in Nghe An brings high economic efficiency and has a strong domestic and foreign consumption market. Photo: Quang An

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Toan - Permanent Deputy Director of the Department of Processing and Development of Agricultural Products Market - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, together with representatives of the Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, gave directions and solutions for the development of the consumption market and export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products such as: Prioritizing credit policies, promoting investment in agriculture, especially local and regional specialties; supporting to promote the potential of land, finance, science and technology, promoting the connection between managers, scientists, businesses and farmers.

Strengthening land accumulation policies, creating specialized commodity growing areas. Increasing the effectiveness of regional linkages. Supporting research, testing, establishing a system for supplying seeds, input materials to trace origin. Developing a trade promotion system, promoting branded products. Actively promoting people to participate in associations, trade villages, etc. Investing in research and market forecasting to find outlets for agricultural products.

Quang An