One of the largest Australian agribusiness delegations to Vietnam and Cambodia has demonstrated the growing interest in agrifood collaboration between Australia and Southeast Asia.
Representatives from 28 leading agribusiness companies travelled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam as part of the Agrifood Connections mission under the Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange Program (A-SEABX).
Activities on the mission brought together over 600 businesses, industry associations, agricultural experts and potential partners to foster two-way trade, investment and explore new commercial partnerships.
Strategic partnerships for food security
Through Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, Australia is deepening its economic engagement with Southeast Asia, a region expected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2040.
Programs such as the Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange (A-SEABX) are helping turn this strategy into action by supporting Australian businesses to build partnerships and identify new investment opportunities across the region.
Australia’s agrifood strengths strongly complement Vietnam and Cambodia’s ambitions to modernise their agri-food sector toward high value-added, standards-compliant and production aligned in line with domestic demand and global standards says Chris Morley, Trade and Investment Commissioner to Vietnam and Cambodia. “Australia is internationally recognised for high-quality, safe and sustainable food systems underpinned by robust biosecurity and traceability frameworks. This positions Australia as a natural partner for Vietnam and Cambodia as they move up the value chain,” says Morley.
“There are significant opportunities for collaboration not only in premium food exports, but also in technology transfer, innovation and investment to support Vietnam and Cambodia’s goals for value-added, standards-compliant and climate-smart production.”
The Australian delegation at a networking reception in Cambodia
Opportunities for Aussie Agribusiness
Tannelle O’Shannessy, the Business Champion for Cambodia, led the Cambodia leg of the mission, which included participation from the local business community alongside government leaders. There is a strong interest in Australian dairy and packaged food products in the Cambodian market, as they look to diversify supply sources beyond traditional markets. Demand for advisory services and technology is also high in the market, as the country seeks to improve its agri-food supply chain.
In Vietnam, there is interest in Australian dairy, meat and packaged food products, alongside opportunities in feed ingredients, livestock advisory and supply chain technology solutions, particularly in organic waste management and IoT applications. There is also a strong appetite to collaborate with Australian partners to enhance value-adding and position Vietnam as a production and export hub for global markets.
As part of the program, investment forums in both Cambodia and Vietnam brought together experts, businesses and government representatives to discuss investment and partnership opportunities across the agriculture and food value chain.
The fora provided practical insights into the regulatory and market landscapes in each country, emerging investment models and strategic collaboration to deepen bilateral trade and investment cooperation. Both sessions saw strong engagement from leading local businesses, reflecting growing interest in cross-border collaboration.
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