Socialist Republic of Vietnam

(VNA) Vietnam wishes to boost agricultural cooperation with the US , a country having great achievements in this field, said Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai.

Deputy PM Hai expressed his aspiration while receiving visiting US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Hanoi on Nov. 16.
He also expressed his hope that the US would boost cooperation with Vietnam in adaptation and mitigation of impacts of climate change, especially when large acreages in the Red river and Mekong river deltas, the major rice-growing areas of the country, are forecast to be inundated due to rising sea level.

Tom Vilsack affirmed his intention to share experience with Vietnam to help increase value for agricultural products and raise income for farmers.

He said the US plans to import lychee, longan and other fruits from Vietnam following the Global Gap standard. Vietnam ’s dragon fruit, rambutan, mango and star apple are already popular in the US .

Besides, the US wants Vietnam to open its market for beef from the US .

The same day, Vilsack had a working session with Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat.

Vilsack’s visit to Vietnam is aimed at promoting his country’s farm produce and seeking cooperative opportunities with Vietnam .

At present, Vietnam is an important market for the US . Over the past decade, Vietnam stepped from the 50 th place to 15 th in the US list of farm produce importers with an import value of 1.3 billion USD.

Also on Nov. 16, Vilsack – the first US Secretary of Agriculture to visit Vietnam – met teachers and students of Hanoi Agriculture University./.