Vietnam Imports US$205Mln Animal Feed in First Four Months

Vietnam is estimated to have spent US$205 million importing animal feed in the first four months of this year, up 7.31 per cent on-year, according to the Government Statistics Office.

 

In April alone, total expenditure for animal feed imports has been some US$65 million, representing a fall of nearly 3 per cent compared to March.

 

Vietnam annually uses up around nine million tons of feed, 80 per cent for pigs, 18 per cent for poultry, and the remainder for cattle. But local animal feed factories are now able to supply 4.6 million tons, forcing the domestic animal feed production sector to heavily rely on imports.

 

Sixty per cent of the raw materials are annually imported for domestic feed production, making Vietnam's animal feed prices 20-25 per cent higher than that of neighboring countries.

 

Last year, the country had to spend almost US$597 million importing animal feed.

 

As of late 2005, Vietnam raised 2.9 million buffaloes, up 1.8 per cent on-year, 5.5 million oxen (+12.9 per cent), and 27.4 million pigs (+4.9 per cent).

 

The country now has a total poultry population of nearly 220 million, according to statistics from the MARD.

 

Poultry breeding makes up the second largest portion of the animal husbandry sector, following only pig breeding, in Vietnam, attracting 70 per cent of the rural households in Vietnam.