Canadian wheat experts are hoping to gain a higher market share in Vietnam by providing Vietnamese flour traders and manufacturers with information on the advantages of their wheat varieties for local production.
“Recent world events have increased the competition among wheat exporters from the US, Argentina, the EU, India, China and Australia,” said Derek Sliworsky, marketing manager of the Canadian Wheat Board’s (CWB) Asia Pacific region at a recent seminar.
Sliworsky listed several factors that had led to the increasing pressure on wheat producers, including poor weather in North America that had caused a decrease in the wheat crop quality, the relative stability of wheat exports from China and India, high rainfall in Western Australia and the potential sale of a large volume of wheat stockpiled by speculators.
Last year, Vietnam imported around 400,000 tons of wheat from Canada, which doubled the CWB’s target and accounted for around 42 per cent of Vietnam’s total wheat imports.
“But for the 2005-2006 harvest, the CWB can only hope its sales to Vietnam will reach 150,000 tons, in light of the smaller crop size and the shortage of stocked wheat and the insecurity of future supply,” Sliworsky said.
Canadian wheat experts at the seminar also provided the Vietnamese representatives from flour mills, bakeries, noodle and aquaculture feed manufacturers with detailed information about the different varieties of Canadian wheat grains suitable for the processing of bread, noodle and shrimp feed.
Vietnam’s flour consumption has increased steadily over the past few years. In 1996, Vietnam imported only 80,000 tons of wheat. The figure, however, jumped to nearly one million tons last year.
Most of Vietnam’s flourmills are located in the south, which use almost 60 per cent of the imported flour to make instant noodles, baked goods and shrimp feed.
Meanwhile, Graham Worden, CWB’s senior manager of technical services, said sine shrimp had become an important export product for Vietnam, shrimp feed manufacturers should consider using high quality wheat for their product.
“Because shrimp are slow bottom feeders, the raised variety should consume a diet composed of 30 per cent wheat or wheat flour. In addition, the feed requires a strong pellet binder and rich nutrients to prevent waste and environmental pollution,” Worden explained.
The seminar is the third of its kind to be organized by the Canadian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City and the CWB since 2003. The seminar will be held annually in order to provide Vietnamese flour traders and manufacturers with up-date information about Canadian wheat crops.
Vietnam currently has 30 flourmills nationwide capable of turning out 1.5 million tons of wheat, equivalent to 900,000-950,000 tons of wheat flour, per annum.
VNS
Vietnamese
