Speaking at a recent business forum, Dr. Nguyen Huu Dat, who sets on the executive committee of the Association, said the importance of growers getting control of chemical abuse is of paramount importance. Though the industry has shipped produce to many promising markets, the overarching goal is to produce large quantities profitably – while meeting importers' food safety and plant quarantine standards, said Dr Dat.
It is particularly relevant to the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) that involves the 12 countries of the US, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Vietnam.
Food safety and hygiene issues have been and will continue to haunt Vietnam produce in all major markets around the globe, said Dr Dat, until it is produced consistently on a large scale in compliance with VIETGAP and Global GAP standards.
In order to produce large volumes of quality product profitably the industry must tighten control over the use of pesticides and other chemicals, upscale the size of farms and modernize it practices with the use of advanced technology.
