July 6, 2010

Vietnam governmental policies aid farm exports

Vietnam earned an export turnover of US$8.6 billion from agricultural, forestry and fisheries products in the first six months of this year, an increase of 13.1% over the same period last year.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Diep Kinh Tan said agricultural products were selling well thanks to the recovery of the export market and support from government policies. Governmental policies have enabled farmers and enterprises to get a much better deal.

Ngoc added though the country had suffered from fierce heat and pests, agricultural productivity kept rising.

Minister Cao Duc Phat has urged localities to grow crops that better suited the hot weather.

Meanwhile, the continued spread of blue-ear disease among pigs was also up for review at MARD's six monthly review meeting.

Deputy director of the Husbandry Department Nguyen Thanh Son said the blue-ear disease had killed about 100,000 pigs. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of pork were left unsold in the market.

He said Vietnam had to import 60,000 tonnes of pork from Taiwan and China to meet demand for clean meat.

Son said pig raising was a traditional and important activity for Vietnamese farmers, who raised 75-81% of pork used domestically.

He suggested the State provide pig farmers in outbreak areas with vaccines and support breeding so disease-free herds could be developed.

Deputy minister Tan said that as Vietnam had a US$16-16.5 billion agricultural target for this year, US$1 billion more than last year, the farm industry should also seek more markets.

The industry should also build up distribution networks for fisheries products in foreign markets and actively get involved in trading.