Food industry to focus on safety hygiene

HA NOI – Vegetable and fresh meat stalls in cities nationwide will be required to sell products supplied by enterprises with registered label and quality certificates by 2015, according to a Ministry of Planning and Investment proposal.

The move is expected to promote local animal husbandry and ensure food safety and hygiene.

Enterprises will be supported in obtaining label and quality certificates with VND200,000 (US$9.6) per tonne of vegetables or meat over a three year period.

It is further expected to provide large-scale breeding and production co-operatives and non-State enterprises with VND3 billion ($144,000) for a thousand products at a time.

Those breeding high-yield buffaloes and cows will receive VND2 billion ($96,000) for each 400 animals towards building infrastructure, electric and water systems, environmental treatment and road facilities.

In addition, seafood and concentrated slaughterhouse projects will also receive money from Government budget.

It is reported that animal husbandry has contributed 25 to 28 per cent to agricultural GDP, drawing on around 70 per cent of farmers.

Average statistics have shown that enterprises have produced more than 405,000 tonnes of buffaloes and cows, 3.2 million tonnes of pork and over 700,000 tonnes of poultry per year. -- VNS