August 22, 2007

 

Vietnam eyeing big seafood export deals with Russia

 

 

Vietnam is likely to earn lucrative seafood export agreements with Russia by the end of this year as the National Fisheries Quality Assurance and Veterinary Directorate (Nafiqaved) expects to seal the deal with the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary Directorate and Physio-sanitary Surveillance (VPSS), said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

 

The agreement is the expected conclusion of VPSS' inspection in July to 20 aquaculture breeding and processing facilities in Mekong Delta.

 

Eleven of those enterprises satisfied inspectors and are now licensed to export products to Russia.

 

The approved companies include An Giang Fisheries Import-Export Joint Stock Company (AGIFISH Co.), the SOUTHVINA (Southern Fishery Industry), Mekong Group, Cafatex Fishery Joint Stock Company (Cafatex Corp), Changhua Vietnam Seafood Co., (VINA CHANGHUA), Tuan Anh Corp, Mekong Delta Food Factory, Tay Do Seafood Enterprise, Pacific Frozen Seafood Factory, Cho Lon Seafood Processing Enterprise, and the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Seafood Import-Export Processing Company.

 

The inspection started in March for VPSS to shortlist the list of seafood exporters who are applying for Russian food safety standards.

 

The initial inspection has the Russian agency banned imports of Vietnamese seafood due to chemical residues and poor operational standards.

 

The agency said in April that only enterprises possessing its food safety and hygiene certificates would be licensed to export seafood and other aquatic produce to Russia.

 

Vietnam exported over 58,700 tonnes of aquatic products worth a total of US$126.3 million to Russia last year. According to VASEP, Russia is a promising seafood market with a consistent rising consumption.

 

The country's seafood exports in the January-July period earned US$2 billion, compared with US$1.7 billion recorded in the same period last year due to higher export revenues and volume from France, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Australia.

 

The industry now aims a 9 percent annual growth between now and 2010, with export revenues targeted to jump to US$4 billion to US$4.5 billion by 2010, from estimated US$3.6 billion this year.