Hanoi (VNA) – Agriculture has an important role to play in the cooperative ties between Vietnam and Canada,according to Canadian insiders.

Managing Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Insitute Tyler McCann saidthat the two countries hold huge potential to enhance agricultural cooperation,which should be given a top priority as it is related not only to the tradeties but also the exchange of expertise and academic experience.

Working with Vietnam will help Canada better access the Indo-Pacific market, hesaid, elaborating Vietnam is the regional centre for several sectors ofagriculture.

Meanwhile, Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University ofthe Fraser Valley Lenore Newman highlighted Canada’s progress in several fieldssuch as genetic technology that helps create an abundant and climate-resilient faunaand flora system, and application of advanced technologies into food productionand processing.

Fraser Valley is looking for partners in Vietnam to transfer its technologies,she said, adding the exchange aims at developing a Pacific Rim ecosystem ofagricultural technology for all countries in the region.

Over the past years, Vietnam and Canada have paid due regard to agriculturalcooperation so as to contribute to the global security and ensuring food supplychain.

The Canadian Government has sponsored the projects “Food Safety for Development”and “Smart Coastal Community Adapting to Climate Change” in Vietnam, helpingthe nation develop safe and sustainable agriculture.

Thanks to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership(CPTPP) which came into force in late 2018, trade of agricultural productsbetween the two countries has risen from 623 million USD in 2017 to more than 1billion USD at present./.