Last year imports of fresh produce into Vietnam increased by almost four per cent, prompting some in the industry to suggest border restrictions need to be tightened to protect both consumers and domestic growers.
The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association reported that in the first 11 months of 2010 imports of fresh produce totalled US$264m – an increase of 3.9 per cent over the same period in the previous year.
The Vietnam News reported the increase could be attributed to a surge in imports from China, with fruits such as oranges, apples and pears making up 85 per cent of total imports.
According to a source from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development imports from preferred importers must meet minimal food safety and pesticide inspections, but are not checked for stimulants or preservatives.
In accordance the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement products from China are exempt from import taxes and traders who registered to open an import declaration could import an unlimited amount of produce, the newspaper reported.
Lao Cai International Border Gate customs official Tran Vu Hoang told the Vietnam News he believed safety inspections and efforts to protect domestic agricultural products had become too lax.
The director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments cultivation department Nguyen Tri Ngoc said much of the imported produce was taking market share away from domestic crops, which struggled to compete with the variety, price and quality of produce from China.
He told the newspaper domestic producers would need to improve the quality of their produce to compete with the increase in imported goods.
