The future of beef cattle trade between Australia and Vietnam was discussed at a symposium in Hanoi highlighting an industry collaboration in technical expertise and development of a more competitive, sustainable, and profitable supply chain.
Project lead at the Griffith Asia Institute Associate Professor Dominic Smith said the symposium was an excellent chance to link Australian and Vietnamese industry through technical expertise.
“It is extremely positive to see the symposium reinvigorating existing relationships between the two countries and also catalysing many new opportunities for technical collaboration, investment, trade, and capability development,” Associate Professor Smith said.
Discussion topics included priorities and opportunities in markets and trade, meeting net zero emission targets, profitable forage and fattening systems, improving breeding and genetics in Vietnam, modernizing processing, value adding and integrity systems.
The symposium was supported by DFAT under the Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Grant Program implemented by Griffith University and Vietnamese partners at the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development (IPSARD) and Focus Group Go Consulting Company with the Reimagining Collaboration between the Australian and Vietnamese Beef Cattle Industries program.
Vietnamese and Australian cattle producers, cattle industry associations, businesses, researchers, technical experts and government representatives engaged in livestock production gathered to explore opportunities and forge new friendships at the symposium.
The importance of bringing such a wide range of stakeholders together was highlighted when the event was officially opened by the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture, his excellency Mr Phung Duc Tien.
The event included opening remarks from the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski, who emphasised the importance of the history of relationships between Australia and Vietnam in terms of beef cattle trade and the need to explore opportunities in the area of investment for the future.
Australia’s Agriculture Counsellor to Vietnam, Tony Harman, said he was thrilled to take part in the symposium.
“This year we celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam,” Mr Harman said.
“Two-way trade in FY23 realised an impressive $AUD 6.5 billion, with Vietnam now being the fourth largest destination for Australian agricultural exports.
“Our beef and cattle partnership continues to be a cornerstone of our agricultural partnership.
“This symposium draws upon the very best of Australian and Vietnamese technical expertise and commercial knowledge to foster deeper engagement and provide a springboard for the development of a more competitive, sustainable and profitable supply chain.”
Participants in the symposium included 135 face-to-face delegates, more than 50 Zoom participants and more than 2,500 people viewed the live symposium proceedings on YouTube.
The symposium was highlighted to the more than 100,000 viewers of the program “Chà o Buổi Sáng” (Good Morning) program on national broadcaster VTV1 in Vietnam.
All presentations are now available on the Asia Beef Network website.