Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang Meets with Hokkaido Vice Governor (Japan)

On the afternoon of September 5, as part of his official visit to Japan, Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang met with Hokkaido Vice Governor Mitsuhashi Tsuyoshi.

Vice Governor Mitsuhashi noted that Hokkaido currently accounts for one-fourth of Japan’s agricultural land, with an average farm size of over 22 hectares per household—ten times the national average. The region is a major producer of key agricultural products such as dairy, potatoes, red beans, wheat, and beef, which have become recognized national brands. However, Hokkaido faces significant challenges as its agricultural workforce ages rapidly, with an average age of 60–65, while young laborers are increasingly scarce.

“Hokkaido has advanced technology and management models, while Vietnam offers advantages in a young workforce, land, and a large market, opening up promising opportunities for effective and sustainable agricultural cooperation,” Vice Governor Mitsuhashi Tsuyoshi said.

Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang emphasized that, with their respective potentials and complementary strengths, Hokkaido and Vietnamese localities are expected to develop more concrete, practical, and effective cooperation projects, further deepening the comprehensive friendship and partnership between Vietnam and Japan in the coming period.

In this cooperative spirit, Vietnam wishes to learn from Hokkaido’s advanced experience and technology in smart farming, farm management, and post-harvest processing, particularly for key products such as dairy, potatoes, red beans, and sugar beet.

Vietnam is ready to send young workers to Hokkaido to both study and work in the dairy, vegetable, and livestock sectors, while encouraging Hokkaido to accept interns and agricultural engineers, expand technician training programs, and facilitate expert exchanges.

The two sides are also expected to jointly explore the establishment of a Japan–Vietnam Agricultural Training Center in Vietnam, serving as a hub for cooperation, technology transfer, and the development of high-quality human resources for the agricultural sector.

Regarding agricultural trade, Vietnam proposed boosting exports of its key products to Japan, including tropical fruits, seafood, coffee, cashews, pepper, and timber. At the same time, Vietnam is ready to expand imports of high-quality products from Hokkaido, such as dairy, potatoes, red beans, sugar beet, and beef.

Hokkaido, a major agricultural hub, is known for its strong processing capabilities and an agricultural culture closely aligned with Vietnam. In recent years, cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and Hokkaido has achieved significant milestones, ranging from management and land-water governance training programs to green farming models, modern production processes, and cooperative frameworks.

Phuong Linh