Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Pham Hung Tam on May 27 met with John Bradford, Chairman of SunRice Group – Australia’s largest rice producer and distributor.

Bradford briefed the ambassador on the group’s latest developments in the Vietnamese market, noting that Vietnam is currently one of SunRice’s most important international rice suppliers, particularly for premium rice products targeting high-end markets.

The company therefore plans to increase the capacity of its rice processing plant in Vietnam's Dong Thap province to 120,000 tonnes per year.

SunRice and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) also announced the next phase of their joint project on enhancing climate-resilient premium rice value chains with smallholder farmers in the Mekong Delta.

The 1 million AUD (650,000 USD) project, co-funded by both sides, will support objectives aligned with Vietnam’s programme to develop one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation by 2030. The initiative focuses on improving climate-smart rice farming techniques, post-harvest efficiency, traceability and the development of salt-tolerant rice varieties adaptable to climate change.

SunRice and ACIAR will also continue cooperating to expand operations at the Centre of Excellence located at the company’s rice processing facility in Dong Thap, creating opportunities for rice farmers and agriculture students to conduct research and training.

In addition, SunRice is sponsoring KOTO Foundation, Vietnam’s first social enterprise specialising in hospitality vocational training. The partnership reflects the company’s commitment to supporting local communities in Vietnam through both business and social initiatives.

Tam praised SunRice’s positive contributions to Vietnam’s rice production and processing sector, helping enhance product value, market access and climate resilience. He also briefed the company on Vietnam’s policies prioritising high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI).

The ambassador welcomed SunRice leaders’ participation in the “Meet Australia 2026” event recently held in Vietnam, describing it as Australia’s largest-ever trade and investment promotion event in the country and expressing confidence that it will provide a major boost to bilateral economic cooperation.

He encouraged SunRice to further strengthen cooperation with Vietnamese localities and businesses, support delegation exchanges and trade connectivity activities, and continue serving as one of Australia’s leading companies in high-quality trade and investment cooperation with Vietnam./.