Vietnam spent billions of dollars each year on importing animal feed, nearly 40 percent of which came from China, head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Husbandry Department Hoang Thanh Van said at a conference late August.
In the first six months of this year, the country paid about 2.42 billion USD to import 5.9 million tonnes of animal feed, increasing 55 percent and 29 percent in quantity and value from the same period last year. The imported feed included corn, wheat, soybean, fish powder and rice bran.
Vietnam also spent billions of dollars on animal breeds. The country imported more than 1,600 pigs and nearly 945,000 poultry for breeding purposes in the first seven months of this year, costing 1.45 million USD and 3.67 million USD respectively.
Van said the country has to import more feed and breeding stock to meet the increasing demand of local producers. While the country could produce more than 1 million tonnes of corn each year, local demand had risen to 5-6 million.
"We need to shift a number of areas used for rice cultivation to planting corn so we can increase the local supply," he said.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said that the animal health sector should also pay more attention to animal disease prevention and control, management of animal medicine and food safety and hygiene. The husbandry sector also needed restructuring in order to boost the competitiveness of its products, Phat said.-VNA
In the first six months of this year, the country paid about 2.42 billion USD to import 5.9 million tonnes of animal feed, increasing 55 percent and 29 percent in quantity and value from the same period last year. The imported feed included corn, wheat, soybean, fish powder and rice bran.
Vietnam also spent billions of dollars on animal breeds. The country imported more than 1,600 pigs and nearly 945,000 poultry for breeding purposes in the first seven months of this year, costing 1.45 million USD and 3.67 million USD respectively.
Van said the country has to import more feed and breeding stock to meet the increasing demand of local producers. While the country could produce more than 1 million tonnes of corn each year, local demand had risen to 5-6 million.
"We need to shift a number of areas used for rice cultivation to planting corn so we can increase the local supply," he said.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said that the animal health sector should also pay more attention to animal disease prevention and control, management of animal medicine and food safety and hygiene. The husbandry sector also needed restructuring in order to boost the competitiveness of its products, Phat said.-VNA
