Agricultural trade between Vietnam and Nebraska, US to be strengthened

On behalf of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh extends warm welcome to Governor Pete Ricketts and all distinguished guests, who are attending the Online Conference on Agricultural Trade between Vietnam and Nebraska, United States on April 7, 2021.

We are glad to know that United States has succeeded in developing and providing residents access to vaccines against Covid-19. So far, about 100 million Americans have been vaccinated against COVID-19. In Nebraska, as far as we know, 30% of the population has received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and some 20% of the residents have been fully inoculated. Once again, we would like to send our congratulations to the United States and especially Nebraska on your achievements in the fight against COVID-19.

During the period, we have witnessed the close cooperation ofbusinesses and people of the two countries to battle the coronavirus pandemic, such as by sharing fabric masks, ventilators and PPE (personal protective equipment). Our partnerships can also be seen in other aspects. We highly appreciate the warm reception of Nebraska’s state government and business community for Vietnam trade delegation during our visit to Nebraska earlier last year, and we were glad to welcome the Governor of Ricketts and the trade delegation to Vietnam in 2019. Notably, Vietnamese businesses have signed 18 Memoranda of Understanding with Nebraska partners on the imports of corn, wheat, soybeans, distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and beef from the US. Today's event aims to strengthen the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and the United States in general and with Nebraska in particular, especially when the two countries have just celebrated the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

The bilateral trade between Vietnam and the United States has experienced a remarkable progress, especially in the agricultural sector. Despite the effects of Covid-19 epidemic and widespread crop diseases, the trade in terms of agriculture, forestry and fisheries between the two countries in 2020 achieved a considerable growth. Specifically, Vietnam’s imports of farm products from the United States sustained a strong growth, with the import of wheat rising by about 140% (reaching 144 million USD), while that of soybeans and that of milk and other dairy products were up by 30%, equal to 396 million USD and about 173 million USD respectively.

Currently, Vietnam are restructuring agriculture by increasing the added value and promoting the sustainable development. Accordingly, the key exports are seafood, timber products, coffee, tea, tropical fruits and vegetables among others. Meanwhile, Nebraska has a reputation for high-quality farm goods such as beef, pork, corn, soybeans and wheat. Overall, it can be seen that the agricultural products for exports of the two sides do not compete each other.

Through this event, we want to say to Nebraska enterprises thatVietnam, a country of over 96 million people, constitutes a promising market which has high demand in high-quality US farm products. Besides, given Vietnam’s deep integration into global economy, many opportunities for business cooperation and investment are offered.

I know that Nebraska boasts a thriving agriculture, with advantages in processing technology, high-tech agriculture and substantial resources. We hope Nebraska businesses willincrease their investment in high-tech agriculture and agro-processing in Vietnam. In addition, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam also wish to promote the cooperation in agricultural science and technology as well as capacity training with Nebraska-based universities and institutes.

The conference is a great opportunity for businesses of both sides to exchange and update information about agricultural trade, introduce farm goods’ branding programs while proposing solutions in order to strengthen the trade tie in the context of the "new normal".

The effective cooperation of enterprises of both sides will certainly contribute to boosting the bilateral relation between Vietnam and the US.

On this occasion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Office of Agricultural Affairs, US Embassy in Hanoi, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and state businesses and associations for jointly cooperating this event. I also look forward to welcoming Governor Pete Ricketts and Nebraska businesses to Vietnam in the time to come.

Wish you all good health, happiness and success.

Thank you very much!