Việt Nam targets $5.5b in agro, forestry, fishery export value to EU

Việt Nam has set a target that the export value of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the EU market will reach US$5-5.5 billion by 2025.

In 2025, the processed products would account for 30 per cent of Việt Nam's total agricultural, forestry and fishery products exported to the EU. About 20 per cent of the exported agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the EU would be sold directly at retail channels in this market.

Those percentages would increase to 50 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively, by 2030, according to a scheme developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). The export value of such products to the EU market is also targeted to increase to $7.5-8 billion by 2030.

The ministry has put in place many solutions to achieve these goals, such as increasing the connection and participation among ministries, sectors and localities.

It will focus on changing farmers' awareness and habits in the production of farming products. In addition, it is also necessary to improve the infrastructure for agricultural production as well as aquaculture and processing of seafood to meet EU standards.

It is also necessary to implement economic reforms, especially matters relating to agriculture and land, and policies and institutions on science, technology and State management. Those will help Việt Nam improve the competitiveness of farm produce and achieve sustainable agricultural development in the long term.

The export of Vietnamese agricultural products is facing many big challenges, including internal limitations in the development process of the sector and increasingly strict commitments on product quality and environmental standards.

Việt Nam's agricultural exports have great opportunities in expanding markets, improving the value and quality of export products, attracting investment and modern production technology from joining the EU-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement to boost exports to this market.

Currently, the EU is one of the four major export markets for Việt Nam's agricultural, forestry and fishery products. The EU is also one of the world's three largest markets for agricultural, forestry and fishery products.

Việt Nam is one of four Asian countries to sign an FTA with the EU. Therefore, to effectively exploit the advantages of the EVFTA, Vietnamese agricultural products must improve their quality and value.

According to Nguyễn Trung Kiên, head of MARD's Department of International Cooperation, the EU annually spends about $1 trillion on food and beverages, including $300 billion on imports.

Lộc Trời Group Joint Stock Company said that about 500 tonnes of branded "Vietnamese Rice" delivered by the company in June would arrive in Germany, the Netherlands and France in July. Of which, "Vietnamese Rice" exported to France will be sold at Carrefour, a large supermarket system.

This is the first step in the group's journey of bringing Lộc Trời's rice to the world market.

In February 2022, Golden Gate Joint Stock Company cooperated with Western Farm Co, Ltd. to export the first batch of mangoes to the EU market.

This batch of mangoes supplied by Tịnh Thới Agricultural Service Cooperative in Đồng Tháp Province has an export price of 11-13 euros per kilo. The price of this fruit at supermarkets in the EU is 18 euros per kilo.

However, according to Kiên, some Vietnamese agricultural products still have low export volumes to the EU. In addition, Việt Nam's agricultural exports to this market are facing great competitive pressure.

Specifically, Vietnamese vegetables and fruits have major competitors from South America, West Africa, South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines, India and China.

Meanwhile, coffee, pepper and cashew products of Việt Nam must compete with products of Indonesia, India, Brazil, Ivory Coast and Mozambique.

Its seafood products face competition from products of Norway, China, Ecuador and Morocco.

Kiên said to increase exports to the EU, Việt Nam's large enterprises need to promote the building of a supply chain for exports to reduce transportation costs and develop their brands.

According to Nguyễn Thị Thương Linh, deputy director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)'s branch in Cần Thơ, to take advantage of the EVFTA in exporting farm produce to the EU, the enterprises and farmers must cooperate in building supply chains for exports.

Nguyễn Đình Tùng, general director of Vina T&T Company, said the difficulty for the export of agricultural products, especially fruits, today is preservation. The most important factor is researching preservation technology to keep agricultural products fresher for longer.

Besides that, the enterprises need support from State management offices and associations in carrying out advertising and marketing activities.

Dr Nguyễn Đắc Bình Minh, director of the Institute of Regional Research and Development under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has also noted the traceability of export products because this is a mandatory requirement of many multilateral FTAs, especially that with the EU.