A delegation of leading representatives from the Australian seafood industry has toured the Mekong Delta region from August 3-10 to learn more about aquaculture cooperation and investment opportunities in Vietnam.
The tour is part of a major trade promotion programme aimed at bolstering cooperative relations in the seafood sector and boosting sales of Vietnamese seafood products in Australia through an improved marketing and advertising campaign.
After visiting aquaculture farms, fish processing factories of seafood processors in An Giang, Can Tho and Nha Trang delegation members said they were generally impressed by the high quality food safety and hygienic standards in place at the firms.
At the Vietnam Fisheries International exhibition (Vietfish 2014) in HCM City, the delegation worked with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh examining ways to remove trade barriers and bolster trade.
They specifically discussed establishing an inspection department for seafood products to facilitate the sale of Vietnamese seafood in the Australian market.
At a meeting with Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), both sides agreed to devise a joint action plan to promote Vietnamese high quality seafood products in Australia.
They agreed the 2015 action plan should be signed on the sidelines of the global outlook for aquaculture leadership (GOAL) conference to be held in HCM city this October.
In 2013, Australian imports of Vietnamese seafood reached a record high of US$1.46 billion. Vietnam is the third largest seafood provider for Australia (after New Zealand and China), comprising an 11% market share.
(Source VOV)