(pangasius-vietnam.com) Directorate
D-Fish’s new initiative earned plaudits of many participants, including aquacultural experts, representatives from enterprises, pangasius producers at the workshop titled “Certification and Sustainable development of Pangasius” held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
D-Fish is expected to support and provide free services for VietGAP certification, so pangasius farmers will spend the lower certification fee when registering for GlobalGAP (Good Agriculture Practices), ASC (environmental-friendly freshwater fish farming) or SQF 1000 (safe quality food).
According to Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Vice General Director of D-Fish under MARD, each market is now requiring a different certification. For example, GlobalGAP certification is required in West Europe markets, ASC standard is needed in North Europe; in contrary, there are no certification requirements in Africa.
These international standards are covering the fields of eco-system protection, food safety, social responsibility, traceability, public health and social welfare. “Vietnam will issue VietGAP standard for pangasius, consisting all points mentioned above. Enterprises granted VietGAP have chance to turn to gain accreditation and certification of GlobalGAP, ASC, meeting different requirements by export markets,” he said.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Dzung, Deputy President of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reported that Vietnam has, currently, 6000 hectares of pangasius farming areas, producing 1.35 million MT in 2010. These pangasius farms concentrate across provinces in Mekong Delta, including Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Dong Thap, An Giang, so it is feasible to apply VietGAP standard across large areas.