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| New Zealand Consul General and Trade Commissioner Scott James presents gifts to children. (Photo: New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam) |
On July 6, ten of New Zealand’s top fruit and dairy product exporters to Vietnam came together to donate over 350 cartons (7,000 kilograms) of fruit and 1,000 litres of milk to several children’s and women’s charities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi this month. The donations benefited recipients, including Operation Smile in Ho Chi Minh City, VinaCapital Foundation, Blue Dragon and Maison Chance. This year marks the first time New Zealand’s leading dairy producers have joined the campaign, adding milk to the donations of fresh fruit.
"I am delighted to see how an initiative to aid the Vietnamese people during the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into an annual programme that benefits local communities, particularly those who are underprivileged,” New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, Ms. Tredene Dobson said. “The New Zealand Embassy is pleased to continue assisting the New Zealand’s leading fruit and dairy exporters, who generously provide nutritious and fresh products to support vulnerable children and women in Vietnam. This small yet impactful gesture demonstrates our genuine concern and commitment to improving the well-being of the Vietnamese people."
New Zealand Consul General and Trade Commissioner Scott James says that this is a great initiative. “Over the last three years this programme has provided an opportunity for New Zealand companies to share their exceptional produce with under-served communities here in Vietnam.
“It’s a tangible and heartening demonstration of New Zealand exporters deepening their engagement and relationships with the Vietnamese community and coming together to make a difference.”
This is the third consecutive year that New Zealand fruit businesses have donated New Zealand fruit in Vietnam. The programme has expanded each year since its inception in 2021, when five New Zealand companies donated New Zealand apples and kiwi fruit to eight Vietnamese hospitals, staff and patients during the COVID-19 lockdown in Ho Chi Minh City, in conjunction with the ‘Be Strong Vietnam Campaign’ launched by Song Foundation and the New Zealand Embassy in Hanoi.
The following year in 2022, seven New Zealand fruit exporters donated 10,000 kilograms of fruit to five children’s and women’s charities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
This year’s donations are made by Bostock Group, Fonterra, Fresh Fruit Company of New Zealand (Freshco), Golden Bay Fruit, Heartland Fruit, Kiwi Crunch, Meadowfresh, Mr Apple, T&G Global, and Zespri International./.