At a workshop jointly held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentand the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Hanoi, Hoan highlighted that both countrieshold great potential to cooperate in developing agriculture, elaborating Vietnamhas been famous for its rice, vegetables and fruits and aquatic products while theRoK has a modern agriculture with various kinds of seedlings.
Over the past time, they have worked together in technology transfer to branchout biofuel crops, high-quality vegetables, medicinal mushrooms and safe food production,as well as in trade promotion for products of both sides’ strengths, among others,he added.
He took the occasion to thank KOICA for its support to build the Vietnam –Korea cooperation vision in agriculture and rural development during the2024-2030 period, saying the report has an important role to play in identifyingpotential cooperation areas, promoting comparative advantages of the twocountries, and diversifying forms of cooperation and investment so as toenhance efficiency and ensure sustainability.
Meanwhile, KOICA President Chang Won Sam said that KOICA seesagriculture a key cooperation area between the two countries, and will supportthe collaboration under its mid-term and long-term strategies through various projects such as improving valuechain, promoting market connectivity, and enhancing capacity for climate changeresponse.
According to Deputy Director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy forAgriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Anh Phong, the RoK is currently thefourth largest importer of Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products.
Since the Vietnam – Korea Free Trade Agreement took effect in 2015, Vietnam’sagricultural export to the East Asian country has been on strong surge, withaverage revenue of more than 2 billion USD a year during 2016-2023.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is also the 4th largest market of the RoK’sagro-forestry-fishery goods. Boosted by the free trade deal, RoK’s shipment of those products toVietnam has grown at an average 6.2% per year.
Although the RoK is the biggest foreign investor in Vietnam,its capital funneled to the agricultural sector makes up only 0.17% of its totalFDI in the country. Most of the investment has been poured into localities withpreferential policies and holding favourable conditions in weather, land, infrastructure,labour force and material areas.
Phong said the RoK is the second largest ODA provider for Vietnam’sagriculture, adding the capital has contributed to improving productivity andquality; however, it accounts for only 3.36% of the total ODA the country hasoffered Vietnam./.