Côte d’Ivoire’s National Assembly President Patrick Achi and his Vietnamese counterpart, Tran Thanh Man, visited leading agricultural and aquaculture companies in Vietnam’s Can Tho city on Tuesday, exploring opportunities to boost technology transfer, investment and food security cooperation as Abidjan seeks to deepen economic ties with Hanoi.

The visits to high-tech agricultural company Trung An and seafood exporter Caseamex were part of Achi’s official visit to Vietnam from Aug. 23 to 26.

Agriculture is a major driver of trade between the two countries. Ivory Coast is Vietnam’s third-largest export market for rice, while Vietnam imports cashew nuts, cotton and other raw materials from the West African country.

At Trung An, the two parliamentary leaders toured the company’s production facilities and product displays and received a briefing on its rice processing and export operations.

The visit reflected Ivory Coast’s interest in learning from Vietnam’s experience in increasing rice production and developing its processing industry.

Vietnam produces around 45 million tonnes of rice annually, compared with approximately 2 million tonnes in Ivory Coast, despite the two countries having broadly comparable areas under rice cultivation, according to the Vietnamese side.

The delegation also visited a demonstration field showcasing promising rice varieties for the 2026 summer-autumn harvest.

Later, the two leaders visited Caseamex, a Mekong Delta-based company specialising in the processing and export of aquatic products. Its flagship pangasius products are exported to more than 50 countries and territories.

Achi said Africa represented a market with significant potential and that Ivory Coast could serve as a gateway for Vietnamese companies seeking to expand their presence on the continent.

He said he would continue discussions with Tran Thanh Man and relevant Vietnamese authorities to strengthen practical cooperation, particularly in agriculture.

In aquaculture, Achi called for Vietnamese companies to invest in equipment and technology transfer to support Ivory Coast’s efforts to strengthen food security.

The visit highlighted growing interest in expanding business ties between the two countries, particularly in agriculture, aquaculture and food processing, as Hanoi and Abidjan seek to translate their political partnership into deeper trade and investment cooperation.