1. Legal Basis
To apply for a Certificate of Eligibility to Produce Aquatic Feed, you must comply with the following laws and decrees:
- Law No. 18/2017/QH14 on Fisheries
- Decree No. 26/2019/NĐ-CP Detailing a number of Articles and measures implementing the Law on Fisheries
- Circular No. 26/2018/TT-BNNPTNT guiding the production, registration of information on aquatic feed and aquatic environment treatment agents
2. What is Aquaculture Feed?
According to Clause 14, Article 3 of the Fisheries Law 2017, which took effect on January 01, 2019, the term "aquaculture feed" is defined as follows:
Aquaculture feed is a product that provides nutrients and beneficial components for the development of aquatic animals, including compound feed, supplements, live feed, and raw materials.
Before being circulated on the market, aquaculture feed must meet the following requirements:
- Declaration of applied standards and conformity declaration as prescribed;
- Quality must meet the standards that have been declared;
- Product information must be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as prescribed.
Individuals and organizations wishing to produce aquaculture feed must be granted a Certificate of Eligibility for Aquaculture Feed Production Facility before starting operation. To be granted this certificate, individuals and organizations must meet the following conditions:
- The production location must not be polluted by hazardous waste or toxic chemicals;
- The production area must have walls or fences separating it from the outside;
- The factory and equipment must be suitable for each type of product;
- There must be conditions for quality analysis during the production process;
- A quality control and biosecurity system must be applied;
- There must be technical staff trained in aquaculture, aquatic animal health, biology, chemistry, or food technology.
3. Classification of Aquaculture Feeds
The Vietnamese aquaculture market categorizes aquaculture feeds into 4 main groups with different raw materials:
- Live Feed: Unprocessed, live feed such as small fish, snails, crabs, worms, etc.
- Natural Feed: Living organisms that naturally grow in the same environment as the aquaculture species, such as plankton and algae.
- Homemade Feed: This feed source is processed and mixed by the aquaculturist themselves from locally available materials. The processing process is usually simple and the feed is in a wet form.
- Artificial Feed: Comes in the form of dry feed or pellets. Floating feed is used for fish that feed on the surface, while sinking feed is used for crustaceans.
The aquaculture feed processing industry requires fresh and clean aquaculture feed ingredients. It also requires high-tech equipment such as grinders, mixers, and pellet mills.
Fishmeal is an essential component in both animal husbandry and aquaculture. Fish, fresh ingredients, and additives provide aquatic animals with all the necessary nutrients they need for growth. These include minerals, vitamins, proteins, amino acids, lipids, fatty acids, energy, and carbohydrates.
Currently, Sodium Butyrate is one of the few additives with the potential to be used in aquaculture feed to prevent negative effects on livestock. Feeding Sodium Butyrate to aquaculture animals will benefit their gut health.
Additives such as yeast, vitamins, herbs, peptides, and animal byproducts are added to aquaculture feed. The beneficial effects of these additives are to create flavor, stimulate digestion, create binding properties, improve the immune system against bacteria, and act as antioxidants. Additives in aquaculture feed are also known as "smart food" because of their superior benefits for the aquaculture industry.
In the farming process, with the same living environment and characteristics of aquaculture, technical measures, the feed source accounts for 50-75% of the cost. The quality and nutritional adequacy of aquaculture feed plays a decisive role in the productivity, yield, and efficiency of aquaculture. Providing sufficient quantity and quality of feed increases aquaculture productivity and can also reduce other costs.
4. Is it mandatory to declare aquaculture feed?
According to Clause 1, Article 31 of the Law on Fisheries 2017, aquaculture feed and environmental treatment products for aquaculture must be declared to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development before being circulated on the market. (Declaration of information, declaration of circulation of aquaculture feed, environmental treatment products).
Therefore, the declaration of information on aquaculture feed products and environmental treatment products for aquaculture before being circulated on the market is a mandatory regulation that individuals, organizations, and agencies producing, importing, and trading in aquaculture must comply with.
5. Regulations on Conditions for Producing Aquatic Feed
5.1 Conditions for Producing Aquatic Feed:
- The production location must not be contaminated by hazardous waste or toxic chemicals.
- The production area must be enclosed by walls or fences to separate it from the outside.
- The factory and equipment must be suitable for each type of product.
- There must be a factory with a solid structure, a floor that does not retain water, and a one-way flow from raw materials to finished products.
- Walls, ceilings, partitions, and doors must meet quality control and biosecurity requirements.
- The storage areas for equipment, raw materials, and finished products must be protected from cross-contamination and must meet the storage requirements of the manufacturer or supplier.
- Equipment that comes into contact with raw materials and finished products must meet quality control and biosecurity requirements.
- The waste collection and treatment system must not pollute the production environment.
- In the case of facilities producing microbial biomass for the production of biological products, there must be equipment to create, store, and culture microorganisms.
- There must be a laboratory or a contracted laboratory with sufficient capacity to perform quality control checks during production.
- A quality control and biosecurity system must be implemented.
- There must be technical staff trained in aquaculture, aquatic animal health, biology, chemistry, or food technology.
5.2 Application Dossier for a Certificate of Eligibility to Produce Aquatic Feed:
Application form for a Certificate of Eligibility for an Aquatic Feed Production Facility
6. A sample certificate of eligibility for producing aquatic feed in Vietnam
7. Guidelines on the Procedure for Issuing a Certificate of Eligibility for Producing Aquatic Feed
According to the Law on Fisheries 2017 and Decree 26/2019/NĐ-CP, the following are the procedures and requirements for obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility for Producing Aquatic Feed and Products for Treating the Environment in Aquaculture:
7.1. Step 1: Prepare the application dossier:
- Application for a Certificate of Eligibility for Production according to Form No. 11.NT Appendix III issued with Decree 26/2019/NĐ-CP;
- Description of the production facility conditions according to Form No. 12.NT Appendix III issued with Decree 26/2019/NĐ-CP.
Note: If the application is in a foreign language, it must be translated into Vietnamese, and the organization or individual is responsible for the legality of the submitted application.
7.2. Step 2: Submit the application dossier:
Receiving agency:
- Directorate of Fisheries: for applications of foreign investors and foreign-invested economic organizations.
- Provincial-level aquatic state management agency: for applications of domestic organizations and individuals.
Application submission methods:
- Direct submission or sending via postal service: all components of the application must be originals, certified copies, or photocopies stamped by the facility. The administrative procedure settlement agency will check the application components and respond immediately when the organization or individual comes to submit the application;
- Submission via the online environment (national single window, online public services, electronic software, email, fax): all components of the application must be scanned or photographed from the originals. Within no more than 02 working days, the administrative procedure settlement agency will review the completeness of the application. If the application is not complete according to the regulations, the administrative procedure settlement agency will notify the organization or individual to supplement it.
Number of application dossiers: 01 set.
7.3. Step 3: Issuance of the Certificate:
Within 10 working days from the date of receiving a complete application, the competent authority will assess the content of the application. If the application meets the requirements, an inspection of the production facility conditions will be conducted and a report will be prepared according to Form No. 13.NT Appendix III issued with Decree 26/2019/NĐ-CP.
If the facility does not meet the requirements, it must be rectified. After the rectification, a written notification must be sent to the competent authority to arrange an inspection of the rectified content. If the inspection results show that the facility meets the requirements, within 03 working days from the date of completion of the inspection, the competent authority will issue a Certificate of Eligibility for Producing Aquatic Feed and Products for Treating the Environment in Aquaculture according to Form No. 14.NT Appendix III issued with Decree 26/2019/NĐ-CP.
If the Certificate of Eligibility is not issued, a written response must be provided stating the reasons.
8. Required Documents for Publishing a Certificate of Eligibility for Aquatic Feed Production Facilities
- Information on the production location and conditions (Certificate of Eligibility for Aquatic Feed Production)
- Information on the applied publication standards
- Product label (color copy)
- Product quality test results
9. Issuance Timeframe for Certificate of Eligibility for Aquafeed Production Facilities
According to Decree 26/2019/ND-CP, which took effect on April 25, 2019:
- Existing certificates, licenses, permits, and approvals issued before the effective date of this decree will remain valid until they are renewed or reissued in accordance with this decree.
10. Cases of Re-issuance and Revocation of Certificate of Eligibility for Aquafeed Production Facilities
The Certificate of Eligibility for Aquafeed Production Facilities can be reissued in the following cases:
- Loss or damage;
- Change of information about the organization or individual in the Certificate of Eligibility for Aquafeed Production Facilities and Aquatic Environment Treatment Agents.
11. Thiên Di's Certificate of Eligibility for Aquatic Feed Production Service
Obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility for Aquatic Feed Production (CEAF) is the first step in bringing aquatic feed products to market. However, not all businesses are familiar with the regulations, documents, and procedures involved.
Thien Di's CEAF service assists businesses in completing the application process and obtaining the certificate in accordance with government regulations.
Our service includes:
- Guidance on preparing the required documents and files according to legal regulations.
- Supporting the application for a CEAF for aquatic feed and aquatic environmental treatment products.
- Accompanying the business throughout the process of preparing the application, assessing the actual conditions of the facility, addressing any existing issues, and obtaining the CEAF.
12. Reasons to Choose Thiên Di's Services:
- Thiên Di provides comprehensive consulting services for businesses throughout their lifecycle, from establishment and business registration changes to obtaining licenses for aquaculture feed production facilities, environmental treatment agents for aquaculture, registering aquaculture feed information, registering for compliance of aquaculture feed and environmental treatment agents for aquaculture, registering logo and trademark protection, registering product barcodes. By choosing a reputable company like Thiên Di, customers will receive complete solutions throughout their business operations.
- Thiên Di's team is always dedicated to providing timely and enthusiastic support to customers in all situations.
- Our team consists of highly skilled and experienced professionals who have undergone rigorous training. We are always updated with the latest regulations and policies and regularly participate in training courses to improve our expertise and work experience.
- Thiên Di's team is capable of handling high work pressure and always strives for excellence.
- We are committed to continuous self-improvement and professional development to ensure absolute customer satisfaction.
Our Team:
Human resources are the key to the success of any business. Therefore, Thiên Di always focuses on building and developing a professional, dedicated, and customer-friendly workforce - which has been the guiding principle for our success over the years.
Thiên Di's Services:
- Thiên Di provides a wide range of services, including:
- Applying for certificates of eligibility for aquaculture feed production facilities.
- Applying for certificates of compliance for aquaculture feed and environmental treatment agents for aquaculture.
- Registering aquaculture feed information.
- Registering logos and trademarks.
- Registering product barcodes.
We offer our services nationwide and complete all procedures on behalf of our clients, saving them time and effort.
Our motto is to always closely follow, guide, and support clients through every step of the process. When using Thiên Di's services to apply for certificates of eligibility for aquaculture feed production facilities, clients can expect the following:
Please do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation.
Contact Info:
THIEN DI TRADING SERVICES COMPANY LIMITED
Address: No. 36 Street A4, Ward 12, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City
Hotline: 0981317075
Phone: 028.6293 9377
Email: info@luatthiendi.com
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