Famers harvest watermelons in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Soc Trang's My Xuyen District. Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged ministries and relevant sectors to find solutions to overcome difficulties in exporting agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products and promote them. — VNA/VNS Photo Chanh Da

HA NOI (Biz Hub)— Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged ministries and relevant sectors to find solutions to overcome difficulties in exporting agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products and promote them.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported in the first four months of this year that the total export value of agriculture, forestry and fisheries products reduced 5.1 per cent to US$8.5 billion year-on-year, including a 15 per cent drop in fisheries products.

Some of the major challenges for exporters were high supply on the world market, strict competition in rice and shrimp, and the protection of local markets in import countries. The safety of agriculture and fisheries products, limitation of money for trade promotion, and weak financial and competitive ability at local enterprises, were also some of the concerns, reported on May 21.

To deal with these difficulties, the Deputy Prime Minister has directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to set up an interdisciplinary working group to promote exports and manage imports.

The group will help with the negotiation of trade agreements and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the creation of favourable conditions for exporting agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products, and increasing trade promotional activities, Hai noted. The group will also manage re-export activities to avoid any agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products landing at auxiliary border gates and border crossings.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must review regulations on plant quarantine and modify those norms that are not suitable for real situations and create difficulties for export activities, he remarked. The ministry should also consider proposals for granting quarantine certificates as and when importing countries seek them.

Hai also asked the State Bank of Viet Nam to study preferential credit package for enterprises exporting agriculture, forestry, and fisheries products and report to the Prime Minister if it is beyond the bank's authority.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance should consider proposals for taxes on tea and rubber and prepare a report on taxes this month, Hai said, adding that the Ministry of Transport should control the increase of tariffs by shipping companies. — VNS