By Tim Delbridge, Assistant Professor of Applied Economics
I
n early September, with the support of the CAS Global Experience Fund, I had the opportunity to join an Oregon State Legislative Trade Mission to Vietnam. The mission, organized by Representatives Daniel Nguyen and Shelly Boshart Davis, was the first since they formed the bipartisan Oregon Legislative Trade Caucus with the goal of promoting Oregon exports, including agricultural products. As an agricultural economist whose job it is to support Oregon farmers and ranchers with economic analysis and education, I thought it was important for me to tag along and learn more about the needs of exporting firms and the barriers that they might find when trying to increase sales to Asia. An additional goal was to support the connections that OSU is building with agricultural universities and researchers in Vietnam, and to help lay the groundwork for more student and faculty exchange.
The level of activity and energy that we saw while in Vietnam was remarkable. The streets were packed with cars and mopeds at all hours of the day and night. Cranes were everywhere, and modern buildings were popping up like weeds. I was in Vietnam once before, in 2004, as a recent college graduate with a backpack and some time on my hands. In the 20 years since, Vietnam has been transformed in many ways and was barely recognizable to me. The city of Danang is a striking example. I remembered it as a great place for a few quiet days on the beach, and while the beach is still beautiful, Danang now has a skyline dominated by gleaming office tours and is becoming a hub for technology and digital innovation that local leaders call “Silicon Bay”.
Huge increases in manufacturing capacity, investment in the growing technology sector, and rapid growth in urban populations have led to increased opportunity for US agricultural exports. Per capita beef consumption in Vietnam is among the highest in East Asia, and US beef is preferred by Vietnamese consumers for quality and taste. High-end groceries and a chain of specialty retail shops sell imported fruit as luxuries and gifts. While the prices for imported cherries and apples put them well out of reach for many in a country with a per-capita GDP of $4,700, economic growth will continue to expand the Vietnamese market for Oregon exports.
During the week that we were in Vietnam, we visited with business leaders, government officials, and representatives from local universities. Among others, we had the opportunity to discuss the partnership between Vietnam and Oregon directly with the Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture. He was particularly enthusiastic about potential collaborations between their agricultural universities and OSU. I met with colleagues from Nong Lam University in Ho Chi Minh City and the National University of Agriculture in Hanoi. We were able to discuss the recent good news that OSU and Nong Lam were awarded a seed grant to launch a collaboration on research related to the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture and forestry production. We also discussed how we might approach the development of future student exchange programs to give OSU students some exposure to the dynamic Vietnamese society and give their students a chance to see our top notch research and education in action. The faculty at Nong Lam University even shared with me some of the university’s dried fruit products, similar to the Beaver Classic products that our students make at OSU!
The legislative trade mission to Vietnam was a valuable experience and helped further OSU goals of internationalization. I think the group of Oregon business, political, and public sector leaders also found success in strengthening economic ties that will benefit Oregon’s economy as Vietnam continues to grow. I’ll look forward to seeing how these collaborations evolve, and I’d certainly encourage any OSU students or faculty to take the opportunity to visit whenever they have the chance!