The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development has called for pangasius production to be added to a list of conditional pangasiusding sectors, after submitting a draft decree to the Government.
Under the draft, producers and companies who farm, process and export pangasius would only receive business licences if they met criteria such as ensuring food safety and hygiene, clearly-defining food origins and protecting the environment.
Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam, said that under the decree, producers could have their business licences revoked if they fail to meet the conditions.
The draft aims to limit the spontaneous formation of pangasius production companies, which is believed to cause difficulties for balancing supply and demand, he said.
If approved, the decree is could be the catalyst for a bid to reform and reset regulations for pangasius exports to international markets, Tam added.
It is necessary to remove obstacles to the State management of pangasius exports as current regulations overlap each other, said Duong Nghia Quoc, director of Dong Thap Province's Agriculture and Rural Development Department, at a recent meeting to prepare the drafted decree.
Viet Nam's pangasius exports totalled approximately US$1.8 billion last year.