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Idaho reports success on Vietnam trade mission
Published 8:21 am Monday, December 15, 2025
An Idaho agricultural trade mission to Vietnam benefited trade partner relationships and boosted prospects for export growth, participants reported.
A dozen businesses and organizations participated in a November agricultural trade mission to Vietnam, led by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke.
The state in 2024 exported $10.5 million worth of goods to Vietnam including $8.3 million in food and agriculture products. This year, dairy products and hay are the leading exports to the country, and the state also sees strong potential for expanding exports of cattle genetics, dairy ingredients, wheat, hops and pulses, according to an ISDA news release.
Vietnam and the broader Southeast Asia region “hold immense potential for future Idaho agricultural trade,” and with an established Idaho trade office in Taiwan, the state “remains committed to building partnerships that strengthen market access and drive continued success for Idaho producers.”
“With Vietnam opening its market to U.S. exports under the recent deal negotiated by President Trump, Idaho agriculture is positioned for expansion like never before,” Bedke said in the release. “Idaho’s reputation for high-quality products opened doors throughout the trip, and the conversations we had made clear that Vietnam sees Idaho as a trusted source.”
ISDA Director Chanel Tewalt said the trade mission “gave our ag companies meaningful opportunities to strengthen relationships in the region.” Bedke’s leadership “helped open doors at the highest levels, and the conversations we had will support long-term growth for Idaho farmers, ranchers and food processors.”
“We were able to meet with valuable potential clients that can bring immediate success to our company, potentially knocking off two to three years of the market development process,” said Redox Bio-Nutrients LLC president Colton Moon.
“We were warmly received and had some amazing dialogue as we learned about their business and needs in Vietnam,” High Desert Milk controller Karla Robinson said. “We were also made aware of their barriers. We made some very promising connections to start the process to export to Vietnam.”
For the Idaho Potato Commission, the Vietnam trade mission provided “a unique opportunity to reevaluate the Vietnamese market for the export of fresh and frozen Idaho potatoes, paving the way for future growth and collaboration,” CEO Jamey Higham said.
Idaho Wheat Commission chairman Cory Kress said the states wheat farmers rely on export markets to move more than half the wheat produced in the state each year, and “continually fostering relationships with our overseas customers is key to maintaining and growing trade opportunities.” Visits on the trade mission “deepened our personal relationships — connecting the end user on the other side of the world back to the Idaho farmer where the wheat journey begins.”
Participating organizations
- Brocke & Sons
- Commercial Creamery
- Dairy West
- Driscoll TopHay
- Glanbia Nutritionals
- High Desert Milk
- Idaho Hop Growers Commission
- Idaho Potato Commission
- Idaho Wheat Commission
- Redox Bio-Nutrients
- Sage Hill Northwest
- Simplot Animal Science