The seminars are being organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Ireland Vietnam Agri-food Partnership (IVAP).

The Department of Livestock Production (DLP), a subsidiary of the MARD, is working with Sustainable Food Systems Ireland (SFSI), a part of Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), will host the seminars, titled 'Capacity Enhancement for Effective Biosecurity Strategy Development'.

The seminars aim to increase awareness of the principles of biosecurity among government officials, research institutes and livestock farm managers in 22 north central and Mekong Delta provinces, as well as practical approaches to improve biosecurity at the national level.

Dr. Pham Kim Dang, deputy director of the DLP on behalf of the MARD, and David Butler, director of SFSI, both spoke of the links between effective biosecurity interventions and the reduction of disease outbreaks and the need for antimicrobials.

This will contribute to the implementation of Decision No.300/QD-TTg (approving National Action Plan on Food Systems Transformation towards Transparency, Responsibility, and Sustainability) and Decree No.13/2020/ND-CP (on elaboration of Law on Animal Husbandry), which call for the complete prohibition of animal feeds containing antibiotics for animal disease prevention. These two legal documents will come into effect on January 1, 2026.

"Effective farm biosecurity is a cornerstone of plant and animal health, as well as food safety, as it protects plants and animals from the introduction and spread of pathogens," said Dr. Michelle Riblet of SFSI.

The DAFM and the MARD signed an agreement in 2003 with an understanding that permanent dialogue and periodical consultations on matters related to the agriculture sector and rural development are fundamental to improving bilateral relations and the development and technical progress of both countries. The MoU also states that both countries should take the necessary steps to encourage, facilitate and promote agricultural cooperation.