The Prime Minister requested to remove obstacles when hundreds of tons of dragon fruit and pepper are stuck in cold storage, unable to be exported to the EU due to food safety certification procedures.
Under the direction of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment needs to issue and provide full guidance on regulations on dossiers and procedures for granting food safety certificates for exported agricultural products, especially dragon fruit and pepper. The goal is to ensure that goods meet import standards while avoiding backlogs, causing economic damage and disrupting the supply chain.
Along with that, the Prime Minister assigned the People's Committees of localities to closely coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to remove difficulties for enterprises. Solutions need to be implemented synchronously to ensure that agricultural products are cleared through customs in a timely manner, minimizing impacts on Vietnam's reputation and export capacity.
In Binh Thuan, the situation is alarming. Mr. Huynh Canh, Chairman of the Provincial Dragon Fruit Association, said that more than 100 tons of dragon fruit have been damaged due to being stored for too long, while about 50-70 tons are still waiting for certificates for export. The main reason is that no state agency has signed to confirm the plant safety certificates for the shipments.
A similar situation is occurring with pepper businesses. Two businesses under the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association are holding back shipments worth about $2.4 million just because they lack certificates of compliance with EU market regulations.
Mr. Bui Xuan Hoang Henry, General Director of Hoan Vu Inspection Center, shared that since July 1, the center has been supporting businesses in completing inspection documents according to the correct procedures. However, due to problems in issuing food hygiene certificates - which are the responsibility of state management agencies, goods that have been inspected still cannot be exported.
"Previously, we inspected about 20 shipments to the EU every day. Since the beginning of July, everything has almost stopped," he said.
A business that regularly exports goods to the EU also said that since the beginning of July, it has been constantly on standby to prepare documents and procedures for certification but has not yet been resolved.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety has recently made an urgent request to soon issue a sample application form and procedures for issuing certificates in accordance with the standards of imported countries. According to this agency, due to the lack of legal basis, the locality is currently unable to issue certificates in accordance with regulations.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), said that the unit is reviewing and adjusting the administrative procedure announcement to suit practical requirements. The amendment is being urgently completed to ensure that export activities are not interrupted. The Department is also ready to coordinate with local departments and branches to support businesses in completing online procedures to quickly meet the requirements of import markets.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/thu-tuong-yeu-cau-go-vuong-khi-thanh-long-ho-tieu-tac-duong-sang-eu-post649766.html
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