Tea industry urged to adopt VietGAP
HA NOI (VNS) - Tea growers and enterprises should step up application of national quality standards and improve product packaging and design if they are to reverse a first quarter decline in exports, experts say. A report in the Industry and Trade newspaper cited the experts as saying the failure to adopt VietGAP (national Good Agricultural Practice) standards has hurt the industry, with Vietnamese tea fetching lower prices than the produce of other countries. VietGap sets criteria for selection of varieties and rootstocks, land management, application of fertilisers and additives as well as chemicals (including crop protection products). The report quoted Doan Xuan Hoa, deputy head of the Agro-Forestry Processing and Salt Industry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as saying policy incentives were needed to have more farmers and enterprises adopt VietGap standards for their tea plantations. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the first quarter of 2014, tea exports fell year-on-year by 15.4 per cent in volume and 14 per cent in value to 24,000 tonnes and US$37 million respectively. Tea exports to Nguyen Huu Tai, chairman of the Viet Nam Tea Association (Vitas), blamed the "unsatisfactory" export performance on several difficulties faced by exporters in buying, distributing and shipping tea products. For instance, the unstable political situation in major importing countries like Tai also said he remained optimistic despite the first quarter decline in exports. Vitas estimates The association plans to help its members participate in several international tea exhibitions in the UAE and |
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