Australia supporting Vietnam to meet increasing beef demand
The Australian Government, Meat and Livestock Australia and LiveCorp recently supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to organise a seminar on breeding cattle for profit. The seminar was held in Hanoi on 10 May, attracting nearly 150 participants including entrepreneurs, agriculture managers, researchers, government officials and practitioners.
At the seminar, experts from Australia and Vietnam shared information on cattle production systems in Australia, the use of reproductive technologies for breeding, and stressed the importance of adequate nutrition for successful breeding operations. The seminar highlighted practical alternatives with experiences in breeding that are applied effectively in other parts of South East Asia.
According to Vice Minister of MARD, Mr Vu Van Tam, beef currently accounts for 12% of meat consumption in Vietnam. This is changing rapidly and the demand for high quality beef, particularly from Australia, has increased over the past three years. The Vice Minister advised that Vietnam wished to collaborate with Australia in monitoring the production, slaughter and welfare of live cattle which have been exported to Vietnam. He called for domestic investments not only in importing quality live cattle but also in breeding technologies to ensure profit generation for practitioners.
Deputy Head of Mission of the Australian Embassy, Mr Layton Pike, advised that Australia is more than an exporter of live cattle to Vietnam. He noted that Australia is also assisting the development of Vietnam beef’s sector through seminars, practical training and collaborative research and development.
Vietnam is the second largest import market of for live cattle exports from Australia. According to Australia’s Department of Agriculture, 366,716 cattle were exported to Vietnam in 2015. Through this trade, animal welfare outcomes and processing capability in Vietnamese abattoirs has improved, supported by training from Australian experts.
Australia provides support on agricultural research through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). Since 1993, ACIAR has funded 20 projects worth approximately $16 million to develop and improve Vietnam’s livestock production systems, focussing on animal health, food safety, feed and feeding, breeding and market access.
Media contact: Mr Tran Nam Anh, Tel: +84 4 3774 0211, Email: [email protected]