To boost exports, Vietnam fish sauce industry needs to diversify their product portfolio as well as improve food hygiene and safety standards. In addition, the industry requires support to adopt new technologies and quality management systems like HACCP and ISO 22000 to meet challenging requirements from major markets like the US, Europe and Australia.
In 2021, only 12.6% of the country’s fish sauce is exported mainly to Asia (54%), Australia (18%), Africa (13%) and Europe (13%). In addition, only 17 fish sauce factories in Vietnam exported their products.
According to the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority (APMDA), there are more than 4,200 fish sauce production establishments across the country, with an average annual output of around 380 million litres. However, only 1,000 are fish sauce production enterprises, while 3,100 are home-based.
Lehanh Hoa, Deputy Director of APMDA said, “The biggest barrier to export expansion is quality, hygiene and safety, and fish sauce producers need to strengthen their R&D research to meet these requirements while diversifying fish sauce types with full origin traceability standards.”
Hoa also added that there is a need to build a national brand for fish sauce. Sustainable development of fish sauce taking into account sustainable fishing, packaging and labelling, as well as lesser use of additives in fish sauce must be immediate addressed.
Promotion of Vietnamese fish sauce in international market will also promote Vietnamese cuisine and tourism, and bring many indirect benefits to the country.
