Irish beef gains access to Vietnamese market

Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, said, “Vietnam is the world's 14^th most populous country and its economy has experienced rapid growth and development in recent years. Rising disposable income, urbanisation and a shift towards eating out are leading to increased demand for beef. The industry selected Vietnam as one of its priorities for beef access. It is a market with a population of over 100 million people and a growing middle class, presenting significant opportunities for Irish agri-food exporters. For beef, the door has now been opened, and there is a real opportunity for the industry to build on.”

Welcoming the announcement, Noel Grealish, Minister of State with responsibility for food promotion and new markets, commented, "This decision represents an endorsement by the Vietnamese administration of Ireland 's high food safety standards. I was delighted to visit Vietnam for St Patrick's Day where I met with officials who advised me of the positive outcome of last year's audit visit to Ireland. Since then, officials in both countries have worked together to agree the conditions under which trade can take place, culminating in this very positive outcome."

"This ongoing work is one of the key pillars of the Food Vision 2030 strategy and makes a strong contribution to the government's Action Plan on Market Diversification. The expansion of markets for Irish beef is crucial for the further development of our beef sector. Vietnam brings the number of markets for Irish beef to over 70, and we are actively working on others. Every new international market increases the economic sustainability of our beef sector and positively impacts family farms and employment in rural Ireland, adding value sustainably into the future."

Categories of Irish beef and beef products approved by Vietnam's government include beef, minced meat, meat preparations, heart, liver, kidney, and cooked beef products.

Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia, averaging 6 per cent growth annually over the past 15 years. Rising incomes and a growing middle class are driving demand for higher-quality sources of nutrition. With limited domestic production and food service expansion, beef is seen as a premium protein.

With market access for Irish beef now secured, Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board – is commissioning market insight research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Vietnamese market. The research findings will be used to inform Bord Bia's beef clients of opportunities and potential routes into the beef sector in Vietnam.

Bord Bia CEO Jim O'Toole, said, “I am delighted that Irish beef has secured market access to Vietnam, which has been a priority market for access. This is an important step that underlines the importance of continuing to open markets and develop new opportunities for Irish food and drink exports. Vietnam represents a large and promising market, and our understanding of its potential will be further strengthened by a new Bord Bia market insight report, due for publication in the first quarter of the year.”

Strengthening Vietnam-Ireland cooperation in agritech A conference on agriculture cooperation between Ireland and Vietnam was held on September 8 by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine in collaboration with Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment's (MPI) Agency for Enterprises Development.

Vietnam, Ireland boost education, sci-tech cooperation The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK had a working session with the Irish Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) in Dublin on July 10 in a bid to step up the two countries' cooperation in education, science, and technology.

Ireland supports Vietnam to develop capabilities in agricultural cooperatives Seminars on “Cooperative economic development through innovation and quality improvement” were held in Hanoi on July 30 and in Can Tho on August 1, supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam.