Vietnam prioritizes South-South cooperation with Togo on food security

On the afternoon of January 9, Minister Le Minh Hoan welcomed Professor Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and Togolese Abroad of the Republic of Togo. Minister Le Minh Hoan expressed his gratitude in hosting the Togolese Minister, a figure recognized as one of Africa's 100 most influential people, especially as the two nations approach the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

During the meeting, the two ministers signed a Letter of Intent to enhance agricultural cooperation between their respective ministries. This agreement outlines collaboration in five key areas: Strengthening information exchange and scientific and technical cooperation; developing and submitting proposals for development projects; mobilizing resources; dispatching Vietnamese experts to support Togo; establishing a bilateral cooperation framework.

In recent years, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Togo has consistently surpassed 300 million USD annually, making Togo one of Vietnam’s 10 largest trading partners in Africa. Vietnam primarily imports cashew nuts, soybeans, and cotton from Togo, while exporting goods such as complete motorbikes, motorbike spare parts, and rice.

Minister Robert Dussey shared insights into Togo’s agricultural landscape, highlighting that over 70% of the country's population resides in rural areas. Since 2009, Togo has implemented a national agricultural investment program to ensure food security. This program has served as a foundation for the government to formulate policies and establish three specialized agricultural research and investment agencies.

“Since independence, Togo has not achieved food self-sufficiency. Therefore, we are focusing on improving local agricultural processing and expanding the agribusiness network,” Minister Dussey stated, expressing his hope that Vietnam would share its expertise in agriculture, particularly in developing the rice value chain.

Elaborating on Togo’s agriculture, Dr. Dao The Anh, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), commended Togo’s agricultural potential. He noted that the country possesses abundant natural resources, supported by government investments in irrigation systems for agricultural production. However, despite setting a goal of achieving food self-sufficiency by 2025, Togo still relies heavily on rice imports.

Dr. Dao The Anh pointed out challenges in Togo’s agricultural extension system, hindering the effective transfer of agricultural innovations to local communities. He emphasized that enhancing this system could lead to a more comprehensive agricultural development plan. VAAS expressed its readiness to collaborate with Togo's Institute of Agronomy (ITRA) to address these challenges.

Regarding rice processing, Togo’s equipment is still rudimentary, resulting in a high rate of broken grains and inconsistent product quality. These factors make it difficult for Togo’s rice to compete in international markets. Dr. Dao suggested that adopting Vietnam’s advanced rice processing technologies could help Togo improve product quality and increase added value.

Minister Le Minh Hoan highlighted Vietnam’s commitment to supporting Togo under the Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). This agreement focuses on enhancing South-South and tripartite cooperation in the agricultural sector. As part of OIF’s Technical Assistance program, Vietnam has been asked to assist Togo’s Ministry of Agriculture in improving rice cultivation.

In line with this, Vietnam’s high-level leaders has tasked MARD with developing a South-South Cooperation Project involving African countries, with Togo as a priority. In December 2023, Vietnam dispatched a team of experts to Togo to conduct surveys and prepare a recommendation report aimed at fostering the development of Togo’s rice industry.

“I hope that in the near future, Vietnam’s advanced agricultural technologies will be introduced and successfully applied in Togo,” Minister Le Minh Hoan affirmed. He also pledged to create the most favorable conditions for implementing the commitments outlined in the Letter of Intent.

South-South cooperation is technical cooperation between developing countries in the Southern Hemisphere, sharing resources and knowledge. Vietnam has sent more than 400 agricultural experts to Africa to support rice, corn and aquaculture cultivation.