Tiếng ViệtFrom 3–7 October 2025, the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) and the Northern Territory Vietnamese Business Council (NTVBC) jointly organised a Vietnamese business delegation to visit and work in the Northern Territory. The mission aimed to promote collaborative projects in agriculture, logistics, building materials and processing industries, marking an important step in strengthening strategic cooperation between the two sides.
🐃 Discussing Solutions to Transform Arnhem Land’s Feral Buffalo Herd into a Sustainable Export Supply to Vietnam
On the morning of 6 Oct 2025, in Darwin, H.E. Mr. Pham Hung Tam, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Australia, led the Vietnamese business delegation in a working session with the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to discuss collaborative solutions to transform the feral buffalo population in Arnhem Land into a sustainable source of meat for export to Viet Nam.
The delegation took a commemorative photo before the meeting.
The working session was attended by H.E. Mr. Pham Hung Tam, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Australia; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc My, Chairman of NTVBC, Vice Chairman of VAFIE, and Chairman of Vabis Group; along with representatives of other Vietnamese businesses.
On the Northern Territory side, participants included Ms. Amelia Vella, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries; Mr. Dominic Calder, Manager of Market Development; and key departmental officials. Notably, Dr. Ross Ainsworth, Executive Officer of the NT Buffalo Industry Council, also attended and shared in-depth insights on the current status of the feral buffalo herd, ongoing harvesting activities, and the potential for developing Australia’s buffalo meat export market to Viet Nam.
During the meeting, both sides discussed the key challenges and bottlenecks in managing the feral buffalo population, which is currently estimated at 200,000–300,000 head and is growing by 10–20% annually, causing significant ecological damage in the East Arnhem region. The Australian Federal Government and the Northern Territory Government continue to allocate annual budgets to control programs, but their effectiveness remains limited. Exporting live buffalo and frozen buffalo meat has also been ineffective due to high mustering and transport costs, lack of on-site slaughtering infrastructure, supply chain disruptions during the wet season, and the absence of effective public–private partnership models to mobilise Indigenous labour.
Meeting at the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
The Vietnamese delegation proposed a new solution model involving dry-season mustering and holding, on-site processing through mobile abattoirs, primal cut freezing, and export to Viet Nam for boning and distribution. This approach aims to reduce costs to a level comparable with Indian buffalo meat, while simultaneously addressing environmental challenges and creating jobs for Indigenous communities. Ambassador Pham Hung Tam affirmed that the Embassy of Viet Nam in Australia will continue to accompany and support both sides in promoting technical exchanges and negotiating the necessary procedures to open the market between the two Governments.
🏭 Working session with the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations on Industrial Precinct Development
In the afternoon of the same day, the delegation held a meeting with the Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations (DTBAR) of the Northern Territory Government to explore potential cooperation in developing an industrial precint dedicated to Vietnamese investors in Darwin. The vision is to establish a processing and logistics hub to support the import–export of agricultural products and the supply of construction materials.
Participants from DTBAR included Ms. Hayley Richards, Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Chris Mouat, Senior Director, Investment Attraction; and Mr. Jack Chaney, Senior Policy Officer, Office of Asian Relations.
The two sides exchanged views on the Northern Territory’s industrial development orientation, infrastructure needs for supply chains, and cooperation opportunities to attract Vietnamese investment. The Vietnamese business delegation expressed its interest in working with the Northern Territory to study a model industrial precint, leveraging Darwin’s strategic location to connect trade and production chains between Viet Nam and the Northern Territory.
Meeting at the Northern Territory Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations
🏌️ Side Program: Golf Networking & Cultural Experience of Horse and Greyhound Racing in Darwin
In addition to the official meetings, the Vietnamese business delegation participated in a golf networking event with the local business community, helping to strengthen mutual understanding, build connections, and open up new opportunities for future cooperation in the leisure and tourism sectors.
The delegation also took time to explore Northern Territory’s distinctive cultural and recreational activities, including horse racing and greyhound racing in Darwin — traditional entertainment industries that generate significant cultural and economic value for the local community. Vietnamese businesses expressed strong interest in learning from operational models and exploring future cooperation to develop these sports and entertainment industries in Viet Nam.
🌏 Growing Wave of Vietnamese Investment in the Northern Territory
In recent years, an increasing number of Vietnamese business delegations have visited the Northern Territory to explore and seek investment opportunities, particularly in agriculture, logistics, food processing, and export manufacturing.
High-level meetings like today mark an important starting point in shaping strategic cooperation projects between Vietnamese businesses and the Northern Territory Government, contributing to the strengthening of bilateral economic relations in the coming period.
The Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) and the Northern Territory Vietnamese Business Council (NTVBC) continue to serve as a bridge to promote investment cooperation and trade between Viet Nam and the Northern Territory. This business trip marks another important step in turning strategic cooperation initiatives into reality.
VAFIE-NTVBC