The Vietnam Agriculture Market Information Project (VAMIP) is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). In September 2005, the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) was created within MARD, with a mandate to do research, provide information, training, consulting, transferring technology, and conducting other activities in conformity to current laws and regulations to support the agriculture and rural strategy and policy formulation. The IPSARD has been positioned with a greater emphasis on its presence in Hanoi, but a branch office in HCMC has been opened.