Thousands of pangasius farmers in the Mekong Delta have adopted the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development-backed Vietnamese Good Agriculture Practice (VietGAP) standard, according to local press reports.

Looking to achieve stability in production and quality, the standard aims to make pangasius easier to export.

The certificate covers environmental protection, food hygiene and safety, social responsibility and product origin.

“VietGAP certificate includes all of these, and will help exporters upgrade to other certificates easily,” Department of Fisheries deputy director Pham Anh Tuan said.

“The application of VietGap standards will be essential for the aquaculture industry to make products that meet the world market’s requirements. But it is true that many agricultural producers including tra farmers are reluctant to adopt safe production methods including VietGap because they think it is expensive and make them uncompetitive,” Tuan said.

Source : Undercurrent News