Deep processing helps enhance export advantages for local agricultural products
VOV.VN - The shifting from exporting raw products to increasing the proportion of refined and processed products with high added value has helped to enhance export advantages for Vietnamese agricultural products, heard a workshop held on June 7.
Agricultural exports remain bright spot in economic picture
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang emphasised that Vietnam is currently the world’s second, first, and third largest supplier of coffee, cashew nuts, and rice respectively.
The signing of numerous free trade agreements (FTAs) has served to create a huge competitive advantage for key agro-forestry and fisheries products thanks to tariff reduction commitments, she added.
In addition, these FTAs have contributed to attracting high-quality foreign investment in agriculture, thereby helping local firms get involved in the global supply chain in a sustainable manner.
Statistics show the agro-forestry-fisheries sector raked in US$24.14 billion from exports in the first five months of 2024, up 21.0% year on year. Major consumers include the United States, up 23.9%; followed by China, up 8.6%; and Japan, up 6.6%.
Notably, several farm produce categories have witnessed a rise in export value, including coffee with US$2.9 billion, up 44.1%; rice with US$2.65 billion, up 38.2%; fruit and vegetables with US$ 2.59 billion, up 28.1%; and shrimp with US$1.3 billion, up 7.5%.
Thang pointed out that Vietnam has been implementing a number of policies in support of agricultural production as it shifts from exporting raw materials to increasing the proportion of refined products, while simultaneously facilitating the application of science and technology in agriculture and attracting investment to develop food processing.
These policies have contributed to improving the overall product quality, diversifying export items, and accelerating the transition from developing agricultural supply chains to developing industry value chains in order to keep up with consumption trends in the global market.
In particular, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have also coordinated efforts to ramp up trade promotion activities and speed up negotiations to open markets for Vietnamese agricultural products.
Agriculture still faces numerous challenges ahead
However, industry insiders also outlined three major challenges faced by the Vietnamese agricultural industry, including higher quality standards on the origin of products set by foreign importers.
Furthermore, the negative impact of epidemics, trade wars, and geopolitical conflicts have caused protectionism to return as economies seek to protect their domestic production, a factor which has seen Vietnamese export goods at risk of facing more trade lawsuits.
There will be numerous difficulties for the industry as sustainable development, carbon emission reduction, and environmental protection are inevitable trends in almost all of key Vietnamese export markets.
Experts also underlined the need to change the mindset of agricultural production to an agricultural economy with the ultimate aim of ensuring ecological, environmental, human, and sustainable development factors.
