HCMCity (VNS/VNA) 𓄧- Vietnam's bird-nest exports are expected tobe worth hundreds of millions of dollars when the world's largest market,China, opens up this year.

Chinese demand for bird’snest is growing, but Vietnamese firms need to take new measures to officiallyexport to that country rather than involve in informal border trade, theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said. Do Tu Quan, head of the VietnamSwiftlet Farming Association, said Vietnamese exporters hope the two countrieswould quickly reach agreement and the first order to China could be deliveredthis quarter. Deputy Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the industry has beendeveloping rapidly in the country, mostly in the south, but the unofficialborder trade has been resulting in low value and profits. There are 20,000 nestsfarmed in 42 of the country’s 63 provinces and cities with approximately 120tonnes worth 450 million USD harvested annually, according to Tien. But exports to Chinaaccount for only 8 percent. China banned import ofbird’s nests of unclear origin from Vietnam in 2011 following a fake productscandal. It lifted the ban in 2015and replaced it with tough rules aimed at improving safety and traceability. Malaysia, Indonesia andThailand have all completed legal procedures to export bird’s nest to China,but Vietnam cannot export officially due to several reasons, including the lackof quality standards for the product and export standards. In recent years the MARDhas sought to promote exports to foreign markets, including China. Due to the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic, negotiations to export the product to China have mainly beenconducted through online meetings but are almost complete, deputy director ofMARD's department of livestock breeding Nguyen Van Trong said. Local bird’s nestseligible for exports could meet a third of the demand in China, opening up hugeopportunities, Trong said. The Vietnameseswift-breeding industry began to thrive in 2010, with its production accountingfor 3 percent of the global output. While bird’s nests are aspeciality with high economic value and one of the 10 most expensive dishes inthe world, their production in the country remains far below traditionalagricultural products, and they have yet to be classified as a key nationalproduct./.