Vietnam, Australia look to beef up agriculture cooperation
Representatives of the agriculture sector of Vietnam and Australia have agreed to accelerate work to allow the import of more farm produce of each other at the recent third Vietnam – Australia agriculture forum.
At the event, held online on June 30, the Vietnamese side called on Australia to open its market for unprocessed shrimp and fresh passion fruit of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the Australian side hoped that it can export deer and kangaroo meat, and peach to Vietnam.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh proposed that the two sides continue to share information on fruit flies in Australia’s for-export fruit cultivation areas.
He also suggested the specialised quarantine agencies of the two sides continue to hold meetings to solve problems.
Cooperation in science- technology and policy, logistics, and innovation in agriculture were also high on the agenda of the forum.
Vietnam is interested in digital transformation and the application of new technologies in agricultural governance, Doanh said, expressing the hope that Vietnam can learn from Australia’s comprehensive innovation experience in agriculture production, traceability of origin, and trade promotion.
He proposed to include agriculture innovation and logistics in working contents of the two countries’ working groups on policy and technical support.
Doanh praised recent efforts made by working groups of the two ministries, requesting the two sides jointly support these groups to operate more effectively and practically in the time to come, towards promoting agriculture development in each country.
For his part, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Andrew Metcalfe shared his agreement with Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh's opinion, saying that he hopes the two sides will expand cooperation beyond the trade of farm produce.
