According to Pham Dong Quang, deputy head of the Cultivation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the management of products with their origin is the norm for all importing and exporting countries, and Vietnam and China are no exception. Vietnam not only exports farm products to China, but also imports similar products from its neighbouring country.

Consumers will benefit from this new trading practice as all imported fruits are certified in terms of food hygiene and safety. Accordingly, the trade exchange of farm products between the two countries will increase sharply, says Mr Quang.

He says that the huge population in mainland China has a great demand for Vietnamese farm products. He cites statistics from the Vietnam General Department of Customs, saying in the first four months of this year, Vietnam earned US$127.8 million from fruit and vegetable exports, of which US$12.9 million came from the Chinese market.

Vietnam and China have reached an agreement, under which Vietnam will provide China with a list of its fruit farms and establishments that package dragon fruit, litchi, banana, watermelon and longan berry exported to China. MARD has instructed the relevant agencies to gather information regarding the production and export of these five staple fruits. To date, 39 provinces and cities have sent in their reports to MARD.

Vu Dinh Phuong, vice director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bac Giang province, some 25km from Hanoi, says his department has worked closely with local administrations to inspect establishments that export litchi to China. It has so far sent a list of 57 such businesses to the Cultivation Department.

“We will continue to enhance the dissemination of agreements between Vietnam and China amongst farmer households through the media, including the province’s website on agricultural promotion,” says Mr Phuong. “We will draw up an organic litchi zoning plan and replicate the litchi production model to meet Vietnam’s global agricultural practice (GAP). Bac Giang plans to ensure that 20 percent of its litchi fruit acreage meets VIET GAP standards by 2010 and it strives to raise the figure to 100 percent by 2015.”

He says that it is a challenge for farmer households to fulfil this commitment between Vietnam and China due to their small scale of production. “However, if this is done well, our litchi will be exported not only to China but also to other countries,” says Mr Phuong.

Dao Tran Nhan, deputy head of the Asia-Pacific Bureau under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), suggests that modes of trading should be changed.

“Exported products must have certificates of origin and must meet food hygiene and safety regulations,” says Mr Nhan. “It’s worth remembering that China is not a market for cheap and low-quality products. This country is changing its importing policy and focusing on quality products. If we meet this requirement, our exports to China will be less affected.”

 According to him, the MoIT has established a working group to iron out businesses’ snags when exporting these fruits to China. The new regulations will affect Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports in the first phase, but facilitate bilateral trade exchanges in the long run.

 Phung Huu Hao, deputy head of the agro-forestry and fisheries quality management department under MARD, echoes Mr Nhan, saying that businesses will benefit from this new trading practice. In addition, agencies from both countries will find it easier to manage and examine import-export activities of their businesses and will be able to stop the export of any type of fruit that is found not to meet quality standards.