Canada funds food safety project in Vietnam

Canada will soon provide an aid package of about CAD15 million (US$11.3 million) for a food safety project in Vietnam.

Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay made the announcement at a working session with Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong in Hanoi on February 27.

Minister Cuong said the trade potential between Vietnam and Canada is enormous. Goods shipped between the two countries are supplementary, which helps propel bilateral economic ties forward, he said.

He urged the two sides to help businesses promote investment and develop farm produce markets.

Canada mainly exports seafood, wheat flour, soybeans, beef, pork, fruit, and cattle-feed material to Vietnam.

Minister MacAulay emphasised boosting exports of lobsters, blueberry, and pork to the Southeast Asian country.

Minister Cuong said Vietnam wants to import high-quality pork. The country’s aquatic industry is also developing, hence, Canada could study breeding lobsters in Vietnam for sale in the country and for export.

Vietnam is a leading trade partner of Canada among the 10 ASEAN countries, he said, adding that agri-food and seafood play a crucial role in exports to Canada. 

Last year, Vietnam exported US$2.65 billion worth of goods to Canada, and imported US$389.9 million, he said

The Canadian government helped the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development implement a project building quality farm produce worth CAD17 million (US$12.8 million) between 2008 and 2014, and another providing technical and policy assistance to restructure the agricultural sector at a total cost of CAD500,000 (US$379,000) which concluded in December 2016.