There is still not mutual recognition between both producers and consumers, including globally recognized standard like GlobalGAP. It causes troubles for farmers who do not know where their products will be sold and what standard can be used.
For shrimp products, for instant, once exporter wants to sell their products to any market, they have to accept compliance with the standards of that market. There is not a common standard for all markets now, including GlobalGAP. Currently, all three big shrimp importers of Viet Nam are USA, Japan and EU. But they are not interested in VietGAP certification, including GlobalGAP, but only ASC, BAP standards or certification of clean shrimp without antibiotics, microorganisms or other banned substances. Exporters who want to export shrimp products to these 3 markets have to follow these requirements. Therefore, it is not necessary to issue shrimp recommendations under GlobalGAP or VietGAP certification.
For tra fish items, there are some markets that accept VietGAP standards besides BAP standards. According to experts' analysis, VietGAP, GlobalGAP, ASC or BAP have certain similar content and standards. Therefore, although VietGAP has not been recognized in the world market, it still has a certain role and position in the process of agricultural production in general and aquaculture in particular.
Recently, according to the Directorate of Fisheries (D–Fish), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is preparing all conditions to recognize in the coming time if farmers who meet the VietGAP standards can be recognized as meeting GlobalGAP certification.
Accordingly, the assessors of the certification bodies certified by GlobalGAP and the General Fisheries Administration will undertake a one-time assessment of the establishment and, if successful, the certification of both VietGAP and GlobalGAP.
Currently, in addition to VietGAP, countries in the ASEAN region have the ASEAN GAP standard and worldwide recognized GlobalGAP standard. All these standards are geared towards ensuring food safety, the environment, and society.
This is a regulation aimed at encouraging farmers who involve in aquaculture to invest in building a clean seafood chain, fully controlled from breeding, investment, culturing, processing to export or consumption in the domestic market.
VietGAP is not only a set of national standards for domestic products, but also a standard for evaluating foreign agricultural and fishery products to be imported into Viet Nam. For the two main aquatic products are tra fish and brackish shrimp, although they are mainly for export now, applying such standards is necessary. For the farmers, applying VietGAP standard is easier than others as implementing ASC, BAP standards will be very difficult and expensive, so using VietGAP is considered to be the most feasible. Once the farmer is familiar with VietGAP, it would be easier for them to move to other international standards such as ASC and BAP.
Hương Trà