Falling in line with the global trend, Vietnam is also planning to produce organic dairy products in the near future
Vietnam Livestock Association president Nguyen Dang Vang said that in order to begin production of organic dairy products, livestock should be allowed to graze on pastures, fed organic certified feed and inhibit administering drugs to animals unless necessary or emergent. These are standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as well.
Certain enterprises in the country such as TH True Milk, Moc Chau and Vinamilk are already breeding livestock for the production of organic products. However, Vietnam’s deputy minister for agriculture and rural development Vu Van Tam said that for quality products, the country should ideally be rearing 500,000 milk cows that can produce one million tonnes of milk per year.
The push for original products has stemmed from concerns of customers over quality of imported products, which take a 70 per cent market share.
Organic dairies, virtually non-existent around two decades ago, are now hugely popular in the USA with small pasture-based dairies.
With the global trend favouring the consumption of organic milk products, officials in Vietnam too believe the country and region could benefit from organic dairy farming.
