Brasília (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil recently hosted a hybrid workshop on opportunities in the Vietnam-Brazil smart agriculture value chain, attracting more than 50 delegates from government agencies, research institutes, industry associations and businesses of both nations
In his opening speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bui Van Nghi highlighted Vietnam's impressive economic momentum, with GDP projected to surpass 510 billion USD this year and agro-forestry-fisheries exports approaching 70 billion USD. Once grappling with poverty, Vietnam has risen to become a top global exporter of Robusta coffee, rice, pepper, cashew nuts and aquatic products.
This success, he noted, has been driven by digital transformation in agriculture, including the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, smart sensors and blockchain-based traceability, which have raised productivity by 20-30% and cut costs. According to him, bilateral ties have advanced to a strategic phase following the elevation to a Strategic Partnership in November 2024 and the adoption of a 2025-2030 action plan. Two-way trade now stands at around 8 billion USD, with both sides aiming for 15 billion USD by 2030.
Amid escalating global pressures, including climate change, resource scarcity and tougher standards on food safety, traceability and low-carbon production, he said smart agriculture and sustainable value chains are no longer optional but inevitable. With both Vietnam and Brazil prioritising this development path, he saw strong potential for deeper long-term strategic collaboration.
Luiz Rodrigues, Special Advisor for Agriculture at the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, said Brazil is ready to share breakthrough solutions in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor technologies for agricultural sensors, and crop gene editing.
Fostering cooperation between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) and Vietnamese partners is key to technology transfer in cold chain management and precision farming, he said.
Mirela Janice Eidt, head of the Office of Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), affirmed that bilateral agricultural ties have entered a more substantive stage since the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in 2018, targeting such strategic areas as agricultural machinery, forestry, fisheries and biofuels.
Brazil, she noted, is committed to sharing leading expertise in animal health, particularly foot-and-mouth disease control, and sustainable farming. The planned appointment of Eidt as Agricultural Counsellor to Vietnam starting in February 2026 is expected to forge direct channels, expedite joint research and turn innovation pledges into concrete outcomes.
Ngo Van Thanh, Project Director of Alpha Capital, outlined plans to leverage complementary strengths across three core production areas. Brazil will provide Vietnam with peach palm heart varieties and cultivation techniques to capitalise on its processing and export strengths. In return, Vietnam, a global rice powerhouse, will transfer high-yield rice varieties like purple and milky white rice, plus wet-rice farming techniques, to Brazil’s expansive farmlands.
A flagship project to build a genetic improvement hub for Queen Red Ginseng in the South American nation, using Vietnamese seeds, is seen as a potential breakthrough for the herbal industry./.
