Ministry of Science and Technology has officially issued the first standards system for production, cultivation, animal husbandry, processing and labelling of organic products, putting an end to any argument related to actual criteria of organic agriculture, as well as responding to expectations of farmers and enterprises in this field.

The issuance of Vietnamese Standards in Organic Agriculture is referred to international standards and national standards of several countries with advanced organic agriculture including the U.S., EU, Japan and regional countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, China.

This is the important reference for farmers to practice organic agriculture and for appropriate authorities to inspect, control the production and trade of organic agricultural products in future.

The declared Standards in Organic Agriculture is set up for following areas:
Organic agriculture – Part 1: General requirements in production, processing, labelling of organic agricultural products;
Organic agriculture – Part 2: Organic farming;
Organic agriculture – Part 3: Organic husbandry;
Organic agriculture – Requirements for eligible agencies for assessment, certification of organic production and processing system.

According to Ms. Ngo Thi Ngoc Ha, Vice Director of Vietnam Standards and Quality Institute, Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (Ministry of Science and Technology), on one hand, it is important to rely on international and regional standards for setting up a harmonized standards system in Vietnam that plays an essential part in stable, sustainable production and trade of organic agriculture.

On the other hand, in order to fit Vietnam’s situation, Technical subcommittee on Vietnam standards conducted surveys, tests for organic standards among several organic producers and organic-driven producers to collect insight for the drafted quality standards.

These standards are supposed to promote agricultural production in general and organic agriculture in particular, help add more values to products, improve quality of domestic and export goods, drive towards the goal of National program on “Improving productivity and quality of goods produced by Vietnamese enterprises till 2020”.

Along with effect of new quality assurance, Ministry of Science and Technology has issued the decision to revoke old standards TCVN 11041: 2015 in guiding production, processing, labelling and advertising food products produced by organic methods.

As reported by Department of Crop Production MARD, up to date, there are only a couple dozen of organic cultivating enterprises in 15 provinces, cities (which are Lao Cai, Quang Tri, Hoa Binh, Ben Tre, Quang Ninh, Ca Mau, Lam Dong, Hanoi, Ha Nam, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Ha Giang, Tra Vinh) with the total area of 4,000ha. Their main plants are coconut, tea, rice and vegetables.

Nguyen To - translated by Hoa Mai
Source: Dan Viet - http://danviet.vn/