Unhygienic food and the overuse of plant protection and stimulants onvegetables and fruits are major obstacles to guaranteeing food safetyand exporting Vietnamese vegetables and fruits to foreign markets.

Ata conference that discussed the production and consumption ofvegetables and fruits for sustainable development in Hanoi on May 14,Nguyen Xuan Hong, Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment (MARD)'s Plant Protection, said that developed countries,especially the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and countries in theEU, which have been the major importers of Vietnam goods, requirehigh-quality, hygienic food, while ensuring environmental protectionduring their production.

Hong noted that demand from these countries is expected to increase in the coming years.

However, the issue of hygiene has been a great consideration forcountries importing food. In addition, markets that cater to medium- andhigh-income consumers also have strict requirements on this matter.

A representative from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) saidthe most important task is to follow information from markets and taketimely measures.

He noted that the major drawback ofVietnamese fruits and vegetables exporters is inconsistency inresolving and exploiting information.

The lack ofeffective cooperation between management agencies has resulted in stocksof agricultural products piling up at border gates in recent days,causing damages for both farmers and businesses.

Heremarked that management agencies should be able to find overallsolutions to issues related to production, distribution, consumption, aswell as exports to keep up with modern trends.

Investments in processing and preservation technologies, especially ofsmall and medium units, should be given priority, he said, adding thatVietnam should have processing workshops in areas where the cultivationof crops is centred.

In addition, the country should also pay attention to food chains to ensure quality and hygiene.

Local authorities should mobilize investments for the production andtrading of agricultural products as well as for providing relevantinformation to farmers.

He noted that tradepromotional activities should be enhanced while expanding new marketsthrough fairs, conferences, and advertisements in foreign markets.

Duong Phuong Thao, deputy head of MoIT's Department ofImport-Export Department, said the annual export turnover of fruits andvegetables over the past five years has been high at 26.5 percent ayear. The turnover increased from 439 million USD in 2009 to 1.1 billionUSD in 2013.-VNA