Vietnam and the UK strengthen agricultural cooperation

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien acknowledged the close coordination between Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss and officials from the British Embassy in Vietnam over the past period, aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and environment.

The Deputy Minister noted that in 2024, Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry, and fishery export turnover reached a record of USD 62.5 billion, marking an 18.7% increase compared to 2023. Vietnam currently ranks 15th globally in agricultural exports, with 10 commodities earning over USD 1 billion in export value—7 of which exceed USD 3 billion. These include rice, fruits and vegetables, seafood, cashew nuts, coffee, timber, and wood products. The UK is now Vietnam's third-largest trading partner in Europe and the ninth-largest export market globally.

Looking ahead, the Deputy Minister proposed that both sides enhance information exchange, particularly in the field of veterinary medicine—focusing on disease prevention and control for livestock and poultry, diagnostic and testing methods, and the establishment of disease-free zones and facilities.

“We hope to hold regular exchange sessions where businesses from both Vietnam and the UK can share and understand each other better. This will help Vietnamese agricultural products integrate more deeply into the UK market,” said the Deputy Minister.

Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment also proposed that the UK prioritize the implementation of programs and projects to support the training of Vietnamese technical staff in animal husbandry and veterinary fields; enhance laboratory capacity; and collaborate on the research and production of vaccines for livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.

In addition, Vietnam suggested that the UK send experts to assist in programs aimed at raising international standards for Vietnamese enterprises, and jointly organize regular forums to connect agricultural businesses from both countries, helping to promote and boost the trade of Vietnamese agro-forestry-aquatic products in both domestic and UK markets.

“Holding annual dialogue forums will help concretize the commitments made in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two Ministries in November 2022, while also expanding connections between businesses in both trade and investment,” emphasized Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien.

Regarding cooperation potential, Vietnam remains consistent in its approach to harmonizing interests and is willing to share risks throughout the cooperation process. “The UK is a major economy, and Vietnam is ready to support the increased import and consumption of British products,” he said.

The Deputy Minister also expressed strong support for promoting large-scale imports of beef from the UK into Vietnam in the near future.

For her part, Christine Middlemiss expressed her admiration for Vietnam’s achievements in agriculture and sustainable development and highlighted the promising cooperation potential between the two countries in veterinary science, disease safety, and biotechnology research for agricultural production.

She added that the UK will continue to implement agricultural and environmental support projects in Vietnam, and will coordinate with Vietnam to further research antimicrobial resistance in poultry.

“The UK Government has allocated £12 million to the University of Stirling (Scotland) to support the Mekong University in researching and developing vaccines for pangasius (basa fish)—a project of significant importance in improving the quality of agricultural products in both countries,” she shared.

“The UK side wishes to deepen technical exchanges with Vietnam and work towards building a development model for the poultry sector. We hope to have the opportunity for more in-depth discussions with Vietnamese counterparts at the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Conference in France this May,” said Christine Middlemiss.

The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer also proposed accelerating the import of British beef into Vietnam on a larger scale in the near future.

Vietnam's agricultural exports have maintained good growth over the past 3 years, partly thanks to the implementation of the UKVFTA. This creates a competitive advantage for many Vietnamese agricultural products compared to similar products originating from countries that do not have a free trade agreement with the UK.