NEW ZEALAND- According to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnamese and New Zealand businesses need to promote investment cooperation, including research, agricultural production and food processing.
On the morning of March 10, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited the New Zealand Plant and Food Research Center (PFR), Auckland city.
The Center's leaders said that many New Zealand experts have visited Vietnam dozens of times to support agricultural development and learn more experience. Currently, the Center is supporting Vietnam in researching and improving post-harvest technology, crossbreeding, and commercializing new dragon fruit varieties with new flavors and colors aimed at consumers in different markets.
"We have researched equipment to detect plant diseases and researched hybridization of some new fruits such as kiwiberry," said a representative of the Center.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a kiwiberry in his hand and praised "I have never eaten such a delicious fruit". Photo: Nhat Bac
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said kiwiberry has a very delicious taste. "This is the first time in my life I have eaten such a delicious fruit. After one fruit, I want to eat another," he said.
The Vietnamese Government leaders thanked New Zealand for its support in growing avocados, passion fruit, and dragon fruit - Vietnam's main export fruits, grown in many disadvantaged areas.
According to the Prime Minister, the two countries are promoting the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including in the fields of agriculture, production and food processing. The fields of research, production and export of agriculture and food are pillars in the economic cooperation between the two countries, and there is still a lot of room for this field.
"New Zealand has a large land area with a small population, while Vietnam has a small land area with a large population, so the two countries can complement each other," he said.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Science and Technology at the New Zealand Plant and Food Research Centre (PFR), Auckland city. Photo: Nhat Bac
Currently, about 6,000 Vietnamese people are living, studying and working in New Zealand. This number will increase as the economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries develops strongly. Therefore, the Prime Minister hopes that the two countries will work together to accelerate potential and breakthrough products in the agricultural economy.
The New Zealand Plant and Food Research (PFR) Centre is responsible for research and development, promoting the crop, seafood, food industries... through the application and commercialization of research results. This facility has world-class expertise, providing innovative solutions in high-tech agriculture.
Currently, PFR is implementing two projects in Vietnam funded by the New Zealand Government. One is the VietFruit project - supporting the development of the passion fruit export industry, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in November 2023. The project will develop capacity and expertise as well as transfer high-quality passion fruit growing technology to value chain participants such as farmers, post-harvest operators, processors and marketing departments. The total project capital is NZD 5.3 million (USD 3.3 million), implemented in Son La and Gia Lai from 2023 to 2027.
PFR has also partnered with SOFRI and SIAEP to develop the dragon fruit industry and improve the income of smallholder farmers. The project has developed a solution to white and brown spot disease in dragon fruit. This has resulted in a 33% reduction in fungicide use, a new farming system that has doubled yields and improved fruit quality.
The project also implemented post-harvest improvements including forced air cooling and automated fruit washing. Thirty-one new varieties of dragon fruit were bred and commercialized. These varieties offer novel flavors and colors to global consumers. They were also bred to improve quality and disease resistance.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (sitting in the middle), Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat (standing second from left), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan (standing second from right) take a souvenir photo with the Center's leaders. Photo: Nhat Bac
In addition, in Binh Dinh, PFR has cooperated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to produce safe vegetables according to GAP procedures and build a safe vegetable brand to bring to the market, helping to increase income by 30% for 2,000 farming households participating in the project. In Dak Nong, PFR has cooperated with Sam Agritech Trading Company to develop an avocado export supply chain.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife are on an official visit to New Zealand from March 10 to 11.
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