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Struggling with GAP standards to export vegetables, fruit
After three years implementing a pilot programme in applying Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in agriculture, only 5% of vegetable area in Vietnam practices GAP.
Instead of traditional methods of cultivation, farmers who apply GAP have to obey strict regulations on soil preparation, sowing and planting, tending, harvesting, post-harvest, maintenance, to factors related to the environment, packaging, etc. to ensure their products are safe.
Producing agricultural products under GAP involves following a strict procedure overseen by an international organisation or a local authorised organisation. Particularly, produce must have clear origin. These products are welcomed in picky markets like the Europe, the US and Japan. In Vietnam, GAP is encouraged for all kinds of agricultural produce.
However, it is difficult to apply GAP and the production cost is always high. As a result, only 5% of vegetable area in Vietnam meets GAP standards.
Dr. Tran Thi Ba from Can Tho University said that to develop vegetable and fruit areas that apply GAP, farmers must be ensured of an outlet for their products.
Dr. Nguyen Van Bo, Director of the Institute for Agricultural Sciences, said it is difficult to implement GAP in Vietnam because the agricultural production scale is small and scattered and most farmers aren’t aware of the significance of food hygiene and safety, or GAP either.
The government and related ministries and agencies have recently paid attention to applying GAP and practice food hygiene and safety. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued seven national procedures for producing safe vegetables. Provinces and cities have issued hundreds of safe production processes of agricultural produce.
Some research institutes and companies have compiled handbooks on fruit growing based on GAP for dragon fruit, pomelo, pineapple, Hoa Loc mango, etc.
Moreover, the state budget for safe vegetable planting programmes is also rising, though the output and quality of safe vegetables and fruit hasn’t increased much.
Dr. Pham Van Chuong from the North Central Institute for Agriculture Science and Technology said competent agencies don’t have criteria to distinguish safe and normal vegetables in the market.
Without unified procedures and a mechanism to encourage growing and using safe vegetables and fruits, GAP will not be favoured by most farmers.
VNN
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