At a forum in HCM City yesterday experts say cities and provinces need to comply with a decree on organic farming regulations and supportive policies. — VNS Photo Viet Dung

Viet Nam has been making efforts to foster organic farming, including a decree issued last August which should be implemented as soon as possible, experts told a forum in HCM City on Tuesday.

According to Le Thanh Hung of the Viet Nam Standards and Quality Institute, Viet Nam is relatively unfamiliar with the organic farming standards of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and its market for organic agricultural products is underdeveloped.

The government issued Decree 109/2018/ND-CP on organic farming regulations, procedures such as certification, traceability and inspections and supporting policies.

Besides, the national standards for organic agriculture are being adjusted for more clarity and specific standards for certain products such as rice, tea, shrimp, and milk.

It is crucial national standards match international standards to help farmers and businesses make appropriate adjustments to their production to enable exports.

The area under organic agriculture in Viet Nam was 118,000 hectares in 2016, according to the German-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture.

According to Ha Phuc Minh, chairman of the Viet Nam Organic Agriculture Association, cities and provinces need to execute the decree and actively develop organic farming.

Meanwhile, farmers need to identify their markets and the standards they have to comply with, and the Government should encourage farmers to adhere to them and carry out stringent inspections, he said.

“Distributors and consumers also need to carefully examine the goods they buy,” he said.

The forum was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Agro Processing and Market Development Authority. — VNS