Enviro News Asia, Hanoi — Australia and Viet Nam have strengthened bilateral cooperation on biosecurity through a series of technical workshops and training activities aimed at enhancing in-country biosecurity practices and reducing offshore risks to agricultural trade.
The activities were carried out in late 2025 as part of Australia’s international capacity development efforts and were supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Southeast Asia and Australia Government Partnerships program. The initiatives reaffirmed the shared commitment of both countries to biosecurity, safe agricultural trade, and strong regulatory cooperation.
In November, Australia’s International Capacity Development team collaborated with experts from Viet Nam’s Plant Production and Protection Department and the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) in Hanoi to deliver a technical workshop on National Pest Surveillance Information Systems. The workshop focused on practical approaches to planning and coordinating national and regional plant pest surveillance, including methods to ensure accurate pest status reporting in line with international standards.
The workshop provided a platform for Australia and Viet Nam to exchange experiences, address shared challenges, and strengthen confidence in the use of surveillance information management tools and systems.
In early December, Australia’s Compliance Partnerships Program worked with Viet Nam’s Plant Production and Protection Department to deliver a two-week program of fumigation training, compliance verification, and technical mentoring under the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme. The program aimed to strengthen regulatory capability, improve compliance outcomes, and support consistent application of Australia’s biosecurity requirements across Viet Nam’s treatment industry.
The training included targeted methyl bromide fumigation instruction for government and industry participants, as well as a train-the-trainer component designed to enable Viet Nam to deliver ongoing in-country training and build sustainable technical capacity.
During the visit, Australian officials also conducted the annual joint system review under the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme to assess the effectiveness of Viet Nam’s fumigation and biosecurity systems. All participating companies were found to be compliant, reflecting the effectiveness of the review framework and previous capacity-building efforts.
Australia and Viet Nam will continue to collaborate to strengthen biosecurity systems, support secure agricultural trade, and reinforce a trusted bilateral partnership that delivers long-term benefits for both countries and the wider region. (*)
