On November 9, 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China signed another memorandum of understanding on quarantine requirements for sweet potato products. This is an important boost to Vietnam's export turnover to the world's most potential market.

The total area of sweet potato cultivation in the country is currently around 100,000 hectares, with a total output of 1.2-1.3 million tons. It can be affirmed that Vietnam has abundant production to export sweet potatoes.

As the lead agency in guiding procedures, plant quarantine, and negotiating the opening of agricultural markets, the Plant Protection Department has implemented many positive and coordinated solutions immediately after the memorandum was signed. First of all, the Department has coordinated with the General Administration of Customs of China to prepare some conditions to serve export activities, including submitting a list of files on planting areas and sweet potato packaging facilities for China's consideration. At the same time, the Department has held meetings and planned online inspections with qualified units and exporters of sweet potatoes in the near future.

Since March 7, the Plant Protection Department and the General Administration of Customs of China have jointly inspected a series of facilities on the list. By April 3, the General Administration of Customs of China had sent an official letter announcing the results of the online evaluation. Specifically, 13 packaging facilities and 70 planting areas have been granted licenses. This immediately sets urgent requirements as sweet potatoes are about to enter the main crop.

Specifically, it is necessary to accompany, guide and instruct local specialized agencies in disseminating, promoting, and organizing production in a systematic and sustainable manner. This is not an overnight task but needs to be continuously implemented to avoid minor errors that can lead to consequences for the entire industry.

It must be added that in the recent inspection by the General Administration of Customs of China, 10 out of 23 of our packaging facilities did not meet the requirements. This issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible, so that owners and related units can identify the causes and find ways to improve technical dossiers. In this process, the Plant Protection Department will emphasize that if the standards are not met, the goods will immediately be turned back. In addition, violators may be suspended from exporting.

Achieving agreements to export sweet potatoes or any other agricultural products abroad is both an opportunity and a challenge for farmers. In the context of many key export items of the industry having decreasing values compared to previous years, finding new markets and asserting the position of Vietnamese agricultural products in the global market becomes even more urgent.

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued guidelines for the allocation and management of region codes for crops, with a strong emphasis on local decentralization. For crops with short harvest cycles like sweet potatoes, the Department of Crop Production plans to provide support and guidance to localities to maximize their opportunities.

To ensure sustainable development of the industry, all stakeholders, including government agencies, businesses, industry associations, and producers, must recognize their responsibilities. For localities, introducing another export item will require additional resources, especially technical personnel, to participate in continuous monitoring and supervision.

For businesses, they must support growing areas, cooperatives, and farmers in the supply chain while ensuring compliance with GACC regulations. More than ever, domestic businesses need to establish and develop sustainable links both domestically and internationally. They should sign more long-term contracts, even large contracts with partners, to create long-term demand and help farmers feel secure in their cultivation.

For producers, including direct labor, issues related to business ethics are emphasized. We cannot standardize on paper alone but must concretize through practical actions, such as separating packaged goods from newly imported goods. Even small actions can change the perception of the majority of the population over time.