Vietnam ’s livestock industry is overly dependent on imported animalfeed. At present, 50-60 percent of the raw materials for processinganimal feed like maize and soybeans are imports, Deputy Director of theDepartment of Crops Production under the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD) Tran Xuan Dinh was quoted by the VietnamEconomic News as saying.
Last year, the country spent 3 billion USDon imported animal feed and another 1 billion USD on raw materialsincluding maize, soybeans and wheat for animal feed. In 2013, thecountry imported 1.4 million tonnes of soybeans, worth 834 million USD;2.26 million tonnes of maize, worth 690 million USD ; and 1.7 milliontonnes of wheat, worth 584 million USD, which was a significant increasefrom 2012.
In the first five months of this year,Vietnam imported more than two million tonnes of maize, worth 500million USD. Tran Xuan Dinh pointed out the opportunity in cultivatingmaize crop to meet the domestic animal feed material market, a movewhich would also bring higher incomes to farmers.
Over the last10 years, maize cultivation areas, yield and output in maize productionboth have continuously increased. About 1.2 million ha is currently usedfor the crop with productivity of 445 kilos per ha and an annual outputincrease on average by 170,000 tonnes. Northern provinces haveshifted 75,500 ha of rice cultivation areas to maize cultivation areas.According to MARD’s plans, by 2015, 120,000 out of the 418,000ha of ricegrowing areas all over the country will be shifted to grow corn.
Ministerof Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat urged relevantagencies to implement appropriate solutions so that corn growers couldearn higher incomes than other crops and reduce the corn productivitygap between Vietnam and other ASEAN countries.-VNA
Last year, the country spent 3 billion USDon imported animal feed and another 1 billion USD on raw materialsincluding maize, soybeans and wheat for animal feed. In 2013, thecountry imported 1.4 million tonnes of soybeans, worth 834 million USD;2.26 million tonnes of maize, worth 690 million USD ; and 1.7 milliontonnes of wheat, worth 584 million USD, which was a significant increasefrom 2012.
In the first five months of this year,Vietnam imported more than two million tonnes of maize, worth 500million USD. Tran Xuan Dinh pointed out the opportunity in cultivatingmaize crop to meet the domestic animal feed material market, a movewhich would also bring higher incomes to farmers.
Over the last10 years, maize cultivation areas, yield and output in maize productionboth have continuously increased. About 1.2 million ha is currently usedfor the crop with productivity of 445 kilos per ha and an annual outputincrease on average by 170,000 tonnes. Northern provinces haveshifted 75,500 ha of rice cultivation areas to maize cultivation areas.According to MARD’s plans, by 2015, 120,000 out of the 418,000ha of ricegrowing areas all over the country will be shifted to grow corn.
Ministerof Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat urged relevantagencies to implement appropriate solutions so that corn growers couldearn higher incomes than other crops and reduce the corn productivitygap between Vietnam and other ASEAN countries.-VNA
