The Department of Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued guidelines to help bird’s nest processing enterprises register for exports to China.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan signed a protocol in late November on requirements for quarantine, inspections, and veterinary hygiene for bird’s nests from Vietnam to be exported to China after it was signed by the General Department of Customs in China.

Demand for bird’s nests in China is huge while Vietnam has favorable conditions for swiftlet farming and the quality of its bird’s nests is considered superior to other countries in the region. There are 22,087 swiftlet houses around the country with an annual output of 120 tons, worth some $450 million.

However, experts believe that in order to conquer the Chinese market, bird’s nest enterprises and farming sites must have better knowledge to ensure exports are of the best quality.

The ministry has asked that bird’s nest processing enterprises study and fully comply with the requirements in China on the management of swiftlet-raising facilities and processing to ensure disease control, food safety, and traceability.