Vietnam and New Zealand pledged to deepen their agricultural cooperation and boost two-way trade to US$2 billion by 2024 at a virtual dialogue held on Wednesday.

The second New Zealand - Vietnam Agricultural Dialogue was co-chaired by Le Quoc Doanh, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Ray Smith, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries.

At the event, the two sides underlined that bilateral agricultural cooperation and connections are a key factor to meet the goal of boosting their trade turnover to $2 billion by 2024.

This dialogue would foster both bilateral agricultural and trade ties, in tandem with the Strategic Partnership Joint Statement between the two countries last year, Doanh said.

Both nations are strong agricultural producers and exporters whilst Vietnam and New Zealand are promising markets for each other thanks to robust demand for key farm products from both sides, the deputy minister added.

Smith stated that the dialogue was an opportunity for both sides to consider how they could work together to build their sustainable and dynamic agriculture economies following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The New Zealander official also said the two countries should look forward to finalizing the process of granting import licenses for some fruits this year so consumers can enjoy New Zealand strawberries and squash in Vietnam and Vietnamese limes and pomelos in New Zealand.

He added that New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries is supporting agricultural cooperation with the Vietnamese agriculture ministry in plant quality, veterinary epidemiology and electronic certification.

Currently, agencies in the two countries are negotiating a quarantine agreement to export Vietnam’s limes and pomelos to New Zealand, Doanh stated.

He hoped that the plant protection agencies of both countries will expedite procedures to open the New Zealand market for Vietnamese oranges, tangerines, and longans in the coming time.

Trade between Vietnam and New Zealand reached $1.56 billion in 2021, up 14 percent compared to 2020, and by December last year, the Southeast Asian country was New Zealand’s 15th-largest trading partner.

Last year saw Vietnam’s agro-forestry-aquatic product trade with New Zealand reach $549.2 million, registering a year-on-year growth rate of 11 percent, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

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