(vasep.com.vn) Recently, the U.S. Shrimp Southern Alliance (SSA) has expressed concerns on the contamination of Vietnam seafood exports to the U.S. and Vietnam authorities stopped testing shrimp exported to the United States in 2011 while the detection of banned substances in Vietnam shrimp were reported by the Japanese and Canadian governments increased.
The information was posted on the website: http://www.fis.com in March 19th 2012.The concerns of SSA is unilateral. In fact, in recent years, Vietnam authorities as well as processors and exporters have been considering seafood quality as a priority.
Therefore, seafood export turnover in general and shrimp in particular (to “strict” markets: the U.S., Japan and EU) have posted a annually consecutive growth. In 2011, Vietnam shrimp exports to these three markets witnessed an increase from 2010 in which shrimp exports to the U.S. were up 1.3 percent, Japan up 4.5 percent and EU up 20.3 percent. 2011 also marked the record high of nearly US$2.4 billion in Vietnam shrimp exports and it is expected to hit US$2.5 billion in 2012. Shrimp is regarded as a key exported item out of Vietnam seafood exports, so the guarantee for the quality of exported products plays a crucial role.
To protect prestige of exported shrimp products, since 2011 Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has officially banned to use Trifluralin herbicides in aquaculture and put substances of Cypermethrim, Deltamethrin and Enrofloxacin into list of chemicals which is prohibited to use in aquaculture.
To shrimp exporters, they have to spend much money on modernising labs. A representative from a leading shrimp exporter of Vietnam said, in 2011 his company had to spend up to VND21 billion on testing antibiotics and banned chemicals in exported shrimp.
With strong actions from government agencies, enterprises’ efforts on exported seafood quality control, usage of antibiotics in aquaculture was limited and the number of cargoes detected of banned substances reduced significantly.
According to the alert system on seafood imported of the U.S., and EU, in the first two months of 2012, there was no violation with Vietnam shrimp consignments exported to two markets.
In the context of global gloomy economy and fierce competition between rivals, more and more trade barriers in importing markets, Vietnam seafood industry always give priority to ensure quality to remain the growth rate and position of Vietnam seafood in global markets.