Irish Minister Pippa Hackett shares Ireland's goals in promoting the agri-food sector in Việt Nam. - Photo Courtesy of Bord Bia

HCM CITY -- Việt Nam stands as a vital trading partner for Ireland's agri-food sector, affirmed Ireland's Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pippa Hackett.

The announcement was made during her trip to HCM City in which she and a trade mission attended the Food Ingredient Vietnam 2024, which opened in HCM City on Wednesday.

"Việt Nam stands as a vital trading partner for Ireland's agri-food sector, and our recent Government visit underscores our commitment to strengthening this relationship. Following a historic state visit from Việt Nam’s leadership earlier this month, we aim to deepen our cooperation in economics, trade, and agriculture. With ambitions to increase exports — particularly in dairy, seafood, and pig meat — we believe that enhancing our partnership will pave the way for mutual growth and success in the years to come,” she said.

Việt Nam and Ireland are set to enhance co-operation in the food and beverage sector through initiatives aimed at promoting bilateral trade, underscoring Ireland's commitment to expanding collaboration and increasing food exports to the Vietnamese market.

Jim O'Toole, CEO of Bord Bia, an Irish government agency that manages the promotion, trade development and marketing of the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry, shared: "We understand the growing concern amongst Vietnamese consumers when it comes to food traceability. That is why we are very optimistic about the potential for expanding Irish food and beverage products in the Vietnamese market, as we come from a country that excels in green production and demands high quality of clean, safe, and sustainable food."

"We believe that with Ireland's high quality and stringent production standards, our products are fully capable of meeting the needs of Vietnamese consumers."

At the Food Ingredient Vietnam 2024 exhibition held in HCM City, the booths representing Ireland attracted significant attention from many visitors, showcasing a diverse array of products including milk, ice cream, cheese, and butter.

Representatives from Irish companies expressed their satisfaction with the strong interest shown by Vietnamese customers for Irish products at this event. Moreover, they remained optimistic about plans to boost exports to Việt Nam in the future, effectively leveraging the advantages of the trade promotion activities between the two countries to bring high-quality Irish products closer to Vietnamese consumers.

The participation of the Irish delegation at the exhibition, representing EU member states, is part of a campaign to promote the consumption of food and beverage products from Europe in the Vietnamese market.

They have also expressed their ambition to grow the exports of Irish products including dairy, seafood, beverages, pork, and beef in the future.

The Irish Government, as they mentioned in the session, hopes that the trade mission will increase their understanding of the market, increase sales in the region and, most importantly, build a mutually-beneficial trade relationship between Ireland and Việt Nam.

Currently, demand for diverse and high-quality food, beverages, and functional products in the Vietnamese market is increasing, especially with the average age of the population around 30 years.

In the context of the food and beverage (F&B) sector in Việt Nam achieving an average annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent, this presents an opportunity for international companies to engage more deeply with the Vietnamese F&B industry through unique local products that are produced and processed using modern, safe, and traceable methods.

Conversely, Vietnamese businesses can also benefit from collaborative activities to enhance the export of domestic products to the Irish market. — VNS