The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on Nov. 2 held a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on a programme to boost seafood exports to 2015 and achieve even greater export volumes by 2020.

Luong Le Phuong, MARD Deputy Minister said although the fisheries sector recorded impressive growth, it should identify major staples to give priority as well as major fishing areas such as Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Binh Dinh central provinces . Tuna, lobster and clam can be key products, he suggested.

 There should also be policies to encourage business linkage and the government should help boost trade promotion and seek markets, Phuong added.

He said given these joint efforts, the country could earn between 7-8 billion USD from seafood exports by 2015.

 According to MARD, with the goal to sustainably develop the seafood processing industry to 2015, Vietnam plans to maintain seafood export growth between 8-10 percent a year with an export turnover of 6.5 billion USD. The country also plans to win trust and build a strong trademark for the seafood processing industry so that exports will record a value of 8 billion by 2020.

 The ministry also warned that importers would tighten protection measures through trade and technical barriers. Market regulations will not only focus on food safety but also environmental protection, social responsibility and protection of resources.

Vietnamese businesses, therefore, need to review management, speed up modernisation and quality control systems in order to raise competitiveness, the MARD official stressed./.

 

(VNA)