Australia and Vietnam celebrate 25 year agriculture research partnership

Australia and Vietnam are marking 25 years of collaborative research in agriculture, which has funded 170 projects across Vietnam, worth $100 million since 1993. Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, David Littleproud, celebrated the milestone in Hanoi to foster a closer agricultural and trade relationship with Vietnam. “Australia and Vietnam’s agricultural relationship dates back 40 years with our largely complementary bilateral agricultural trade now worth $2.8 billion,” Minister Littleproud said. “Our bilateral relationship continues to go from strength to strength with a focus on wheat, cattle, cotton, barley and malt. “Both countries are signatories to the TPP-11, a new Strategic Partnership, a 25 year agricultural research partnership, a 40 bilateral agricultural relationship and 45 years of diplomatic relations. “I am in no doubt our two nations will forge even closer ties and an even more mutually beneficial bilateral agricultural relationship in years to come. “Australia recognises the importance of working with Vietnam to help feed their nation and develop their agricultural sector, while making a positive impact on the lives of Vietnamese farmers. “Since 1993, Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) has facilitated collaboration between our two nations’ scientists who have completed 170 projects worth $100m. “The projects have covered a wide range of areas such as crop and livestock production, market links, natural resource management, climate adaptation and policy research. “This is an important way we are supporting Vietnamese scientists on technical, agribusiness and policy research to improve smallholder incomes. “I am proud of this collaboration across some of Vietnam’s key export industries, including seafood, horticulture, livestock, tea and coffee. “Through ACIAR’s 2017-2027 strategy we have identified food safety, climate change, soil fertility and crop- livestock systems, market engagement, forestry and aquaculture as priority themes for future research collaboration.”
Fast Facts:   Australia and Vietnam bilateral agriculture trade is worth $2.8 billion in 2016/17.   Australian exports to Vietnam are worth $2.12 billion in 2016/17 (wheat $567m, live cattle $243m, cotton $222m, barley & malt $114m).   Over 1,000 Australian and Vietnamese government scholarships have been awarded for studying agriculture and related fields in Australian universities.   Vietnam’s exports to Australia are worth $651 million in 2016/17 (manufactured timber $250m, cashew nuts $174m, prawns $141m, fish $62m, coffee $46m).   In August 2017 we launched the Australia in Vietnam Agriculture Strategy. View the strategy at vietnam.embassy.gov.au/hnoi/170829.html.   A Strategic Partnership was signed in March by Prime Ministers’ Turnbull and Nguyễn in Canberra.
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