Vietnam-Ireland sign agri-food cooperation deal

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Do Thanh Trung and Ireland's Minister of State Martin Heydon signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance diplomatic and trade cooperation between the two sides last week.

Deputy Minister Trung, accompanied by a number of officials, took part in a study tour under the Ireland-Vietnam Agrifood Partnership (IVAP) programme, managed and implemented by Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI) and funded by the Embassy of Ireland.

The IVAP aims to support Vietnam in transforming its agri-food system in the areas of sustainable primary production systems, food safety, innovation and quality.

The visit focused on knowledge exchange in enterprise and cooperative development and agri-food innovation.

Speaking on the signing ceremony, Minister Heydon said: "We continue to pioneer improvements in agriculture in Ireland. There are lessons we have learned from transforming our agri-food systems that can be adapted to the environmental and economic challenges faced by agriculture in countries such as Vietnam.

"As an EU member state, Ireland is keen to work with Vietnam to ensure that both of our countries can continue to benefit mutually from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. Agri-food trade between Ireland and Vietnam continues to grow and it is a priority market for Irish beef access."

A Government of Ireland Trade Mission to Vietnam is planned for October 2024 to include Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with involvement from Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland, SFSI and DAFM.

During the week, the delegation also visited Bord Bia, NovaUCD, the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society, Tirlán and Teagasc Moorepark.

The visit is part of an ongoing programme of skills development and research under the IVAP programme.