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The Government of Saskatchewan is touting a major increase in the value of the province’s agri-food exports to Vietnam.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Saskatchewan exported $46 million in agri-food products to the Asian nation last year. The increase in value last year was more than triple the growth that was seen in 2022, the ministry noted.
The biggest increase in value was in non-durum wheat, which saw Saskatchewan’s exports to Vietnam jump from $3.7 million in 2022 up to $40.6 million last year. Non-durum wheat was the province’s largest agri-food export in 2023, growing almost 32 per cent to $3.7 billion in global exports.
The other top agri-food exports to Vietnam included purebred swine and peas, the ministry noted.
“Saskatchewan producers provide high-quality agri-food products that are increasing in demand across the globe, which is reflected in numbers like these,” David Marit, Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister, said in a statement.
“The growth in export value to Vietnam highlights our commitment to providing communities worldwide with food that is sustainable, safe and reliable.”
The provincial government has established a trade office in Vietnam, which works to build trade relationships and encourage export growth.
“Our International Trade and Investment Office in Vietnam has helped strengthen our ties with Vietnam and increased Saskatchewan’s profile on the global stage,” Jeremy Harrison, the province’s trade and export development minister, said in a statement.
“Through continued positive discussions with the Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada, our strong relationship is leading to more opportunities for producers right here at home.”
Overall, the ministry said the total value of the province’s agri-food exports increased by 10 per cent to $20.2 billion in 2023, putting the government ahead of its 2030 Growth Plan target of $20 billion and marking the fourth consecutive year of record exports.
Saskatchewan’s agri-food exports to India also jumped in 2023, growing by more than 71 per cent. Exports to Algeria, Indonesia and Morocco were also up in 2023.