Seminar seeks to develop productive, quality agriculture
A seminar on developing quality and productive agriculture took place in Hanoi on June 27 as part of the Vietnam Economic Forum 2017.
Speaking at the event, permanent deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Cao Duc Phat said the agriculture sector grew strongly in the 2011-2015 period with improved farm produce quality and increasing number of agricultural firms.
However, high-tech agriculture tends to stall due to barriers regarding land, market and capital access.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoNRE)’s Department of Science-Technology and Environment, said the State has issued a number of policies to facilitate high-tech agriculture, but administrative procedures and the lack of insurance for the field pose difficulty to the effort.
She suggested encouraging firms to establish research centres and forming close linkage between businesses and technological organisations to promote high-tech application.
Thuy stressed the need to increase negotiations and the signing of trade deals to facilitate businesses’ access to markets.
Participants called for reviewing and amending regulations on hi-tech application in agriculture and the Law on Land, as well as providing incentives for hi-tech farming enterprises.
The southern provinces of Hau Giang, Phu Yen and Bac Lieu are currently home to three hi-tech agricultural zones approved by the Prime Minister.
The MoNRE has granted licenses to 26 hi-tech firms while Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa and Lam Dong provinces have devised plans to establish hi-tech agricultural zones.
As of late March, the State has provided 156.3 billion VND (6.79 million USD) for 15 hi-tech projects in agriculture.
According to the MoNRE, firmed invested more than 21.2 trillion VND (921.7 million USD) into 25 hi-tech agricultural projects from June 2016 – February 2017.
The event was co-hosted by the MoNRE and the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission.
Source: VNA. Date: 2017-06-28
ENLIST CORN TRAIT APPROVED FOR IMPORT TO CHINA, AVAILABLE FOR 2018
Enlist corn will be available for farmers in the U.S. starting in the 2018 growing season. Dow AgroSciences made the announcement after China approved the import of corn grown with the new trait. The announcement was made yesterday along with approval for Monsanto’s Vistive Gold soybeans and renewed approvals for 14 other GMO crops.
China promised a speedier approval process for GMO crops last month as the U.S. announced that China would resume U.S. beef imports.
“We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. and China governments under the 100 Day Initiative,” says Tim Hassinger, president and CEO Dow AgroSciences. “We look forward to continuing to work with China and its regulatory process for additional trait approvals so we can bring farmers new and much-needed technology.”
Developed for use with Enlist corn, cotton, and soybeans, Enlist Duo herbicide is designed to manage herbicide-resistant and hard-to-control weeds. The herbicide has been optimized for on-target application using Colex-D technology. Among other benefits, Colex-D technology minimizes the potential for physical drift and provides near-zero volatility. Enlist Duo herbicide is currently registered in 34 states.
The Enlist corn trait will be available as SmartStax Enlist and PowerCore enlist hybrids.
Dow is still waiting for final import approval from China and the European Union before it launches Enlist Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans and Enlist E3 soybeans. The Enlist cotton trait was launched in 2016 in PhytoGen brand cottonseed varieties.
China Pushes Public to Accept GMO as Syngenta Takeover Nears
- National poll in June tests view on genetically modified crops
- Media campaign will promote safety of GMO to skeptical public
China will carry out a nationwide poll next month to test the public’s acceptance of genetically-modified food, a technology the government says would boost yields and sustainable agriculture in a country that’s seen consumption soar.
Beijing’s prestigious Tsinghua University and two other Chinese colleges will carry out the survey, said Jin Jianbin, a professor at Tsinghua’s School of Journalism and Communication. The poll, sponsored by the government, will be carried out in tandem with a campaign on social media to broadcast basic knowledge on GMO technology, which is widely misunderstood in the country, Jin said.
China is the world’s fourth-largest grower of GMO cotton and the top importer of soybeans, most of which are genetically modified and used for cooking oil and animal feed for pigs and chickens. But public concern over food safety issues and skepticism about the effects of consuming GMO foods have made the government reluctant to introduce the technology for staple crops.
A 2012 trial of so-called Golden Rice -- a yellow GMO variant of the grain that produces beta-carotene -- caused a public storm after reports that the rice was fed to children without the parents being aware that it was genetically modified.
“Many Chinese turn pale when you mention the GMO word,” said Jin in his small office. Some still believe GMO food can cause cancer and impair childbirth, due to misleading reports in newspapers and social media, he said. A recent decision by a local legislative body against growing GMO crops has added to public confusion, Jin said.
‘Half-Cooked Rice’
The national survey aims to discover what the public’s concerns are so that the government can resolve the confusion, Jin said. “If the government pushes ahead before the public is ready to accept the technology, it would be embarrassing -- like offering a pot of half-cooked rice to eat.”
Jin said he expected the poll result to show that the general public’s perception of GMO is still negative, but “as more people get to know the technology, more would be willing to accept it.”
The lack of an authoritative scientific institution to answer questions, the widespread illegal cultivation of GMO crops, and public mistrust of government authorities after a series of food scandals have all contributed to skepticism about GMO, Jin said.
Producers of GMO crops claim they offer improved yields, enhanced nutritional value and resistance to drought, frost and insects. Critics have raised concerns over safety and potential adverse ecological effects. Last year, the U.S., the world’s largest producer of GMO crops, mandated that food makers label products with modified ingredients. EU lawmakers this month objected to imports of herbicide-resistant strains of corn and cotton.
Syngenta Strategy
Syngenta AG, which produces genetically modified seeds for corn, is gearing up for rapid expansion in the country after shareholders accepted a $43 billion offer for the Swiss agribusiness by China National Chemical Corp. The Chinese state-owned company is expected to complete the deal this month.
The American Chamber of Commerce in China had complained that U.S. strains of GMO suffered from slower and less predictable approval for import into China. Chinese and U.S. officials have agreed to evaluate pending U.S. biotechnology product applications by the end of the month, including corn and cotton.
China itself has spent billions on research of its own GMO technology over the past decade, but has not allowed commercial production of grains, with scientists citing public resistance as part of the reason for the delay. China has said that it will allow commercial production of modified corn and soybeans by 2020.
Government officials have said that the country would introduce the use of the technology first on feed grains after cotton. China’s corn consumption is estimated to grow nearly 20 percent in the coming decade on demand for protein-rich meat and dairy products.
Source: Bloomberg. Date: 2017-06-27
Fruit, vegetable exports grow strongly, exporters still worry
Vietnam saw significant rise in exports of fruit and vegetable products in the first half of 2017 but local exporters still cannot find themselves at ease over unstable supply and food safety issues.
According to statistics by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, exports of fruit and vegetable products hit over 1.68 billion USD in the first six months of 2017, a year-on-year increase of 41.4 percent.
The future of the fruit and vegetable industry looks every promising this year as the sector targets to ship abroad 3 billion USD worth of the products for the entire year.
The country has enjoyed impressive growths of fruit and vegetable exports in some foreign markets, including the UAE (93.6 percent), Hong Kong (China) (89 percent), and Laos (69 percent).
China remained Vietnam’s biggest buyer who imported 1.1 billion USD worth of fruit and vegetable products in the first five months of this year, up 50.5 percent year-on-year and making up 75.5 percent of the total exports.
The United States was far behind with 44.7 million USD, up 23.5 percent. It was closely followed by Japan with 43.3 million USD, up 56 percent.
Japan is emerging as a promising market though Vietnam’s fresh fruits and vegetables still struggled to satisfy its quarantine standards. Japan has allowed imports of some fruits with seed from Vietnam, such mango and dragon fruit.
Meanwhile, Vietnam plans to export 104 million USD worth of fruits and vegetables to the US in 2017, up 21 percent from 2016. However, the figure is believed to be below the real potential of Vietnam as well as demand of the US market.
Besides fresh products, Vietnam produces juices together with frozen, canned and dried fruits to suit needs of different markets. While the US market appears to like most of the products, the EU seems to prefer juices and frozen products.
In spite of the bright outlook, the fruit and vegetable producers face a bumpy ride due to unstable input supply and prices. In reality, when China purchases a large volume of a fruit, immediately making the price go up; then fruit processing factories cannot collect enough materials for production throughout the year.
On the other hand, unstable prices also make it tough for the local exporters to fill orders from foreign partners as the two sides will have to negotiate and sign contracts months before harvest season.
Lack of large-scale farms has led to unsteady source of supply and low food safety standards, especially in frozen products which are more likely to have bacterial problems, a business from Tien Giang said.
Source: VNA. Date: 2017-06-27
Vietnam to export poultry products to Japan
Japan has agreed to import poultry and processed poultry products from Vietnam’s Koyu & Unitek Co Ltd, a move that allows Vietnam to export poultry for the first time to the international market.
The nod has come from Japan’s department of animal health, after a series of introspection of the quality of processed poultry products in Vietnam.
In a statement to the Vietnam Agriculture News, Pham Van Dong, director of the Department Of Animal Health in Vietnam, said that the department has been guiding and supporting Koyu & Unitek since June 2016, with an aim to build up a self-contained chain of production.
The plan was then submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for its approval to export the processed poultry products to the Japanese market, which is known to be one of the most difficult markets in the world.
The animal health department in Vietnam collaborated with Koyu & Unitek, aiming to draw up a surveillance plan for poultry diseases and food safety.
Dong said that the mission was to ensure that the company’s processing plant complies with Japanese food safety standards.
Following this, a Japanese team of inspection delegation came to observe and assess Koyu & Unitek’s poultry production chain. After a series of evaluation, the team agreed that the Vietnamese poultry meets hygiene requirements for export to the Japanese market.
“After a year of negotiations with Japan and preparations to meet their requirements, Vietnam has completed all procedures to export poultry and processed poultry products to Japan, a market which has very strict food safety requirements compared to other countries,” Dong added.
He further commented that the animal health department in Vietnam will continue to support and guide Koyu & Unitek to export poultry to the European Union and other international markets.
In addition, Vietnam is looking forward to expanding its processing plant in the southeast region of the country, with an aim to fulfil the requirements of the countries importing the products.
Source: Far Eastern Agriculture Date: 2017-06-27
Use of antibiotics in poultry and livestock to be reduced
Irregularities in the use of antibiotics in poultry and livestock in China will be strictly monitored to reduce drug resistance, according to a national plan released by the Ministry of Agriculture on Friday.
Authorities will push for a reduction in the use of antibiotics for poultry and livestock by 2020. Antibiotics for both human and animal use, and antibiotics that can easily cause cross-drug resistance will be gradually banned in China, according to the plan on controlling animal-sourced drug resistance.
Authorities will also take measures to research, develop and promote more than 100 kinds of new drugs for animal use that are safe and highly effective, and more than 100 kinds of high-risk drugs for animal use will be banned, the plan said.
By 2020, more than 97 percent of poultry, livestock and aquatic products in the domestic markets are expected to pass tests for antibiotics residue, the plan said.
Authorities will intensify supervision in the inspection and approval of new antibiotics for animal use, and further regulate drug application by veterinarians. Authorities will also establish eight national labs across China to improve the monitoring of drug resistance caused by the use of animal antibiotics, the plan said.
Agricultural authorities will also intensify communications and cooperation with international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to control the spread of drug-resistant bacteria among countries, it said.
China is a major producer and user of antibiotics for animals. Bacteria drug-resistance is becoming increasingly serious in China, forcing the use of more drugs in the poultry and livestock industry, which brings serious threats to public health, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Source: China Daily. Date: 2017-06-26
Cooked Chicken from China: Free Trade a Two-way Street, Says NCC
As a result of an authorised deal where the US can now export beef to China, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will allow imports of frozen, fully cooked and refrigerated chicken to the United States from Chinese poultry processing companies.
Upon the announcement of the USDA's proposed rule to allow imports of chicken from China, National Chicken Council (NCC) President Mike Brown says: "NCC and our members support free and fair trade. In order to be effective, free trade must operate as a two-way street. Any country that is able to meet the stringent food safety standards set by USDA should be able to compete in a marketplace free of protectionism and artificial trade barriers."
Mr Brown has shown optimism about negotiators continuing the dialogue with China, and believes that US broiler access issues to China will be resolved expeditiously.
US chicken has been blocked by China since January 2015, when the country issued a blanket ban on all US poultry over issues related to avian influenza. Poultry exports to China peaked in 2008, with an export value of $722 million.
Mr Brown said: "The United States is the most efficient producer of poultry products in the world. Our comparative advantage in producing and marketing these products derives from both our access to America’s abundant production of high quality feed grain and soybean products which are used to feed our flocks; and from America’s technological leadership in poultry genetics and breeding, precision feed formulation, and animal health practices. Because of our significant comparative advantage, it is difficult for other countries to compete both here and abroad and as such, the US imports very little poultry products.
"According to the rule, 'The immediate impact on the United States consumers and domestic producers is likely to be minor, as the low volume of trade is likely to have little effect on supply, demand and prices'.
"FSIS still must take a number of steps, the first of which will be the publishing of the proposed rule in the Federal Register along with a comment period, before it can make a final determination as to whether China is equivalent and thus eligible to export poultry to the United States that was slaughtered and cooked in Chinese establishments. NCC looks forward to reviewing the details of the rule and providing comments to the agency during the 60-day public comment period."
Source: The poultry site. Date: 2017-06-23
U.S. dairy gains more access to China
The U.S. and Chinese governments have reached an agreement that will increase access to Chinese markets for U.S. dairy processors who have been blocked from those markets since 2014.
In May of that year, the Chinese government implemented a new food-safety regulation spanning multiple food categories. Among other things, it required a nation to certify and register dairy facilities that want to ship to China and assure they meet Chinese standards.
The MOU between the FDA and the Chinese government formalizes a registration procedure in which third-party certifiers, on behalf of FDA, will audit U.S. dairy facilities to assure they comply with Chinese food-safety requirements.
The agreement is good news, and for some companies it’s a really big deal, said Matt Gould, analyst with Dairy Market Analyst.
The 2014 regulation froze additional plant approvals. If plants weren’t already approved, they couldn’t ship to China, he said.
Since then, new milk powder plants have been built in the U.S., and more are under construction. Additional whey is being produced, and China is the single biggest driver of whey exports. In addition, China’s fluid milk market is starting to mature, and that’s an avenue worth exploring, he said.
U.S. dairy organizations and the U.S. and Chinese governments worked on a registration process for more than two years. The issue was compliance with regulations between two countries with rigid regulatory systems, according to the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
“The deal marks a significant opportunity for the U.S. dairy industry. China is already the world’s largest dairy importer … . The potential to increase exports there is tremendous,” said Tom Vilsack, USDEC president and CEO.
The U.S. shipped $384 million worth of dairy products to China in 2016, making it the industry’s third-largest market behind Mexico and Canada. With Chinese demand increasing for imported milk and other dairy products, the potential for U.S. exports have been high -- but access has been a challenge.
The MOU is expected to increase access for more than 200 new exporters in the short term and pave the way for additional U.S. entrants in the future, according to USDEC.
“Although we expect the dairy plant list to be accepted within the next two to three weeks, China has not specified an exact date,” said Jonathan Gardner, USDEC vice president of market access and regulatory compliance.
Presently, 221 U.S. firms are eligible to ship dairy to China based on pre-decree access by the Chinese government. In addition, seven infant formula firms are also eligible. Those firms can continue to export their goods to China and will have two years to seek third-party certification and reapply for eligibility, said Peter Cassell, an FDA press officer.
Firms not currently on the list need to apply to FDA for registration and will need to seek third-party certification. FDA will soon issue guidance documents on the details, he said.
Source: Capital Press. Date: 2017-06-23
Seeds fair opens in Ho Chi Minh City
The fifth seeds exhibition opened today in HCM City with over 350 booths set up by business groups, research institutes, schools, farms, co-operatives and businesses from around the country.
It has seven areas for showcasing agricultural materials, farm machinery and equipment, ornamental fish, bonsai, VietGap fruits and vegetables, seeds, aquaculture and livestock brood stock, and the city’s agricultural achievements.
Trần Tấn Quý, deputy director of the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and head of the event organisation board, said the fair is organised to showcase high-quality and high-yield seeds and animal and seafood brood stock.
It is also aimed at creating an opportunity for localities, businesses, and co-operatives to meet, compare notes, and explore business opportunities in agricultural production and trading and promote Vietnamese agricultural brands, he said.
Through the event the city hopes to enhance investment and trade promotion in the agricultural sector, helping make the city a leader in the production and supply of high-quality seeds and animal and seafood varieties to other cities and provinces.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lê Thanh Liêm, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, hailed the achievements of scientists and businesses in creating new seeds and animal brood stock and urged them to develop more production models and seeds and brood stock suitable for local conditions.
Several seminars, conferences and orchid and bonsai competitions will be held on the sidelines of the event.
The expo, organised by the department at the Biotechnology Centre in District 12, will run until June 26.
Source: VNS. Date: 2017-06-23
Beef shipment to China indicates a bright outlook for the meat sector
Meat processor Affco says its first shipment of high value beef into China reflects a bullish outlook the meat industry feels towards its international markets.
The shipment by the company owned by the Talley family was packaged and sent from its Horotiu site in Waikato and consisted of 33,000 frozen steaks and tenderloins for two of its Shanghai customers.
New skin pack technology was used for consumers to better judge the shape and quality of meat cuts. The cuts went into the food service industry or were bought by consumers online.
Speaking at Fieldays, Affco general manager Andy Leonard said the high value red meat market in China was growing. In addition to China, markets in the Middle East and South East Asia were able to pay more for the cuts than Western European markets.
"The willingness and the ability to pay is growing faster in China than anywhere else in the world to the point where elsewhere in the world, those more expensive cuts are diminishing as wealth moves from west to east.
"In western markets, goods are imported because they are cheaper. In eastern markets, good are imported because they are premiums."
The emerging markets continued to be strong with China in particular helping to hold up meat schedule prices in the wake of uncertainty over Brexit.
Affco China sales manager Clint Bailey said the high value beef shipment was a dramatic shift from the early days of shipping meat to China.
"One of our Chinese customers who has procured this meat was the first buyer of New Zealand lamb flaps to China back in 1993. Back then, lamb flaps were the most common exports to China.
"They were the cheapest cut of meat fetching around 60 cents a kilogram, now they're worth around $8.40 a kilo and we're also shipping beef tenderloins at $35 plus a kilo."
Beef exports to China are a relatively new event, having only begun the past six or seven years.
While the Free Trade Agreement in 2008 opened up new opportunities, the real driver behind beef exports is the changing face of China's population, Bailey said.
"Over the last decade 300 million people have moved from inland China to the city. There's a growing middle class who want to put high quality meat protein on their tables."
In March, the Government announced a six-month pilot to export chilled meat to China to help boost earnings for the beef and sheepmeat sectors.
Bailey said it would take the Chinese a while to build infrastructure to handle chilled meat and be in a position to pay a premium over frozen meat.
Affco achieved a good premium for sending chilled product in the marketplace compared with frozen lines, sales and marketing manager Mark de Lautour said.
There was a huge preference for chilled over frozen products and there was a perception that it was superior in quality, he said.
Leonard said the company also attracted a higher level of customer because there were some chefs that did not work with frozen meat.
"Dealing with customers who have the facilities to keep the product in a pristine condition at the other end was important and Affco's got a strong customer base in China with large players with the facilities to be able to do that."
Leonard said the markets looked reasonably settled for the new season. Beef prices were also set to remain strong.
"There is less competition globally, Australian supply numbers are down and that doesn't look like it's going to be a quick turnaround so I think we can be fairly settled on where beef numbers are at."
Source: NZFarmer. Date: 2017-06-23