(VOVworld) – Despite the global economic crisis, agriculture remains a high point of Vietnam’s economy. Exports of agro-forestry and seafood products have been major contributors to national export revenues. But 5 years after Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization, export items haven’t increased in value and have faced many tariff barriers imposed by other countries. This has challenged Vietnam’s agricultural sector to consolidate and improve its brand in the international arena. VOV’s To Tuan reports…..

Developing brands for agricultural exports has become a must for Vietnam (Photo: giacaphe.com)

After 25 years of reforms, Vietnam’s agricultural sector has gained remarkable achievements with comprehensive production growth and an average growth rate of 4.3% a year. Earnings from exporting agro-forestry and aquaculture items account for 30% of Vietnam’s total export value. Vietnam is the world second biggest rice exporter and is near the top of list for coffee, pepper, rubber, and seafood. Joining the WTO helped Vietnam secure footholds for its products in lucrative markets like Japan, the US, and the EU. Le Ba Lich, a member of the Vietnam Animal Feed Association, said ‘Since Vietnam joined the global trade body, its agriculture has seen a lot of achievements. Despite impacts of the global economic crisis, the sector remains a highlight of Vietnam’s economy, with positive growth last year.’

WTO entry has created challenges for Vietnam’s agriculture, due to insufficient investment in the development of an industry brand, which makes its products less competitive. Nguyen Huu Dung, Chairman of the Association of Seafood Processors for Exports, said Vietnam should learn from experiences in dealing with major market’s tariff barriers and protectionist policy. Dung noted that ‘Vietnam’s seafood industry joined the global market before the country entered the WTO. But WTO’s membership has created better conditions for the industry’s further growth. For example, in the past, the US could take action against us for dumping shrimp or tra fish products on its market, but since Vietnam became a WTO member, we also have the right to sue the US for the way it calculates and applies anti-dumping duties. We can - and have - won such cases.’

Many of Vietnam’s specialties haven’t been registered for trademark protection (Photo: danviet.vn)

The development of brands for agricultural exports is a must for Vietnam to fully join the international economy. The protection of trademarks and geographical indications will reduce possible losses for farmers. Further improvement of the business environment and competitiveness for agricultural brands has become an urgent issue. To realize these goals, Vietnam should speed up the acquisition of state-of-the-art technologies, advanced management skills, and personnel training. To honor its WTO commitments, Vietnam needs to hasten reforms of its economic and trade policies in the direction of transparency and liberalization.

To Tuan