Food and food businesses successfully conquer the difficult market

	Reform of quality inspection and food safety inspection requires determination to change
	Seafood exports will quickly return to growth
	Difficulties in removing the IUU yellow card

Production activities at Vinh Thanh Dat Food Joint Stock Company. Photo T.L

Conquer the difficult market

After 11 months in 2022, Ho Chi Minh City continues to lead the country in import and export turnover, reaching 101.58 billion USD. Notably, according to the report of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, the production index of 4 key industry groups of the city (pharmaceutical chemistry - rubber - plastic; food, food and beverage processing; mechanical engineering and electronics manufacturing) had an increase of 19.92% over the same period, 2.6 percentage points higher than the general growth rate of the whole industry in Ho Chi Minh City.

In particular, in the food, food and beverage processing industry alone, the production index is estimated to increase by 28.2%, while in the same period in 2021 decreased by 14.2%. As a result, many food and food processing enterprises have exported high-quality and competitive products to the world market. In particular, many orders have been successfully exported to complex markets.

Truong Chi Cuong, Deputy General Director of Vinh Thanh Dat Food Joint Stock Company (Vfood), said that after exploring the domestic market, in mid-2022, the enterprise signed a contract to export liquid eggs. But, first, frozen worms were exported to Korea. This is one of the potential products expected to become the best growth product group of Vfood.

Similarly, Mr Diep Nam Hai, General Director of Cholimex Food Joint Stock Company (Cholimex Food), said that the enterprise also had batches of spice products exported to Indonesia and Brunei for the first time, becoming the stepping stone for businesses to access the Muslim market.

Currently, some partners from Muslim countries are looking for qualified brand suppliers for their communities. This has opened up the opportunity to conquer the Muslim community market in the world for businesses.

Improve quality

Chairman of the Food and Food Association of Ho Chi Minh City, Ly Kim Chi, said that in recent years, the food industry had grown enormously, providing many high-quality and competitive products, meeting over 90% of domestic consumption demand. . In particular, there are many types of food that not only replace imports but also export to many countries. Especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, the world urgently needs processed food groups such as noodles, rice and some ready-made processed foods. Ho Chi Minh City's food processing industry has never received as many food orders as it does today.

However, the food industry and enterprises in Vietnam, in general, and Ho Chi Minh City, in particular, are also facing difficulties. For example, Vietnam's strong products are competitive with countries such as India, Thailand, etc. Therefore, businesses must innovate, change technology, digital transformation, traceability, product traceability, improve labour productivity, enhance product value, and put indigenous culture into products to adapt to requirements from export markets.

The fact that countries have set very strict technical barriers is a big challenge for Vietnam's exports, especially agricultural and aquatic products and processed foods. Meanwhile, Vietnamese businesses access this information very slowly. This has resulted in some Vietnamese foods in some markets having recently encountered difficulties because of the use of banned chemicals in the processing industry.

Decree on quality and food safety inspection for imported products should be issued

To support food and food businesses to expand their domestic and export markets, the Food and Food Association of Ho Chi Minh City cooperated with Ho Chi Minh City departments and agencies to implement many trade promotion programs, connecting businesses in the country and outside the city, through events that are held annually and have brought many positive effects, such as specialized international exhibitions, trade fairs, trade fairs. Furthermore, the Food and Food Association of Ho Chi Minh City is increasing the organization of events linking member businesses with partners and distributors from Taiwan (China), India, and Australia. Accordingly, creating favourable conditions for business exchange, learning experience, understanding product standards in your country, actual needs, proceeding to business cooperation, bring Vietnamese goods deeper into fastidious markets.