On the afternoon of October 24, 2024, a visit was made to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of Vietnam to meet with Vice Minister Phung Duc Tien, who is in charge of international cooperation and research.

At the beginning of the meeting, Vice Minister Tien expressed gratitude for the longstanding close cooperation between Japan and Vietnam and for Japan's significant contributions in terms of human resource development and investment over the years. JIRCAS shared its past collaborative research with the Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI) on rice blast disease resistance aimed at reducing the use of chemical pesticides. They proposed ideas for the social implementation of chemical pesticide reduction technologies based on these research outcomes. They also proposed new research projects aimed at reducing chemical fertilizers and saving irrigation water, with the goal of contributing to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture in Vietnam. Vice Minister Tien responded positively, stating that these ideas align with Vietnam's research direction and could be supported by MARD.