Irish agri-food authorities will embark on a collaboration with their Vietnamese equivalents from 2023.

The co-operation programme will feature knowledge sharing, innovation, education and joint research activities and is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Both Irish and Vietnamese state agencies, universities and private sector agri-food stakeholders will be involved over a five-year period.

The collaboration was announced on Thursday in Hanoi by Minister of State with special responsibility for research and development, farm safety and new market development Martin Heydon.

Strengthened relationship

Minister Heydon is currently leading a trade mission to the country, supported by Bord Bia.

Ireland is actively seeking export access for beef to the Vietnamese market. However, it is understood negotiations on this will not deliver an outcome during the minister’s trade mission, but at a later date, potentially in 2023.

Minister Heydon said the new agri-food co-operation “underpins our relationship with Vietnam”.

“This co-operation programme will feature knowledge sharing, innovation, education and joint research activities.

“It is an important part of Ireland’s political, trade and economic relationships with this dynamic and fast-growing nation,” he said.

Management

The agri-food programme will be managed by Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI) - the technical co-operation provider established by the Department of Agriculture - and four other Government agencies active in agri-food. These include Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Teagasc.

Additionally, the Department of Agriculture, through its support of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN, will provide funding support for a pilot project on resilient livelihoods for rural women in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam, one of the most marginalised areas in the country and home to 42% of those living in poverty.

The Department says this project will contribute to increasing access to resilient and sustainable agriculture value chains for ethnic minority women.

On this, Minister Heydon said: “In Ireland, our Food Vision 2030 strategy calls out the need to support the central role of women in our farming and food communities.

"I am very pleased that, building on our strong partnership with the FAO, funding from my Department will support the participation of rural women in farming and food businesses in Vietnam.”

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