Báo cáo nghiên cứu khoa học " Developing an Agricultural Research and Development Priority Framework for Vietnam Livestock Sub-Sector Workshop " pptx

Developing an Agricultural Research
and Development Priority
Framework
for Vietnam
Livestock Sub-Sector Workshop
Data and Information Sheets:
Areas of Research & Development
Opportunity (ARDOs)

ARDO 1.

Large Animals

ARDO 2.

Small Ruminant Animals

ARDO 3.

Pig Production

ARDO 4.

Poultry

ARDO 5.

Productive Insects

ARDO 6.

Veterinary Vaccines & Animal Remedies

ARDO 7.

Animal Feed Processing & Conservation

December 2007


1

ARDO 1:
1.1

LARGE ANIMALS

National Goal

To increase the contribution of domestic production to overall domestic demands
through the intensification of beef, dairy and buffalo production in regions with
comparative advantages to produce high quality and high value products, create
employment in production and processing industries and improving income and
livelihoods of farmers. Production Targets are:




Beef: 7.1 million head by 2010 and 9 million by 2015; meat production 210,000
tones by 2010 and 310,000 tones by 2015.



1.2

Buffalo: 3.07 million head by 2010 and 3.23 million by 2015; buffalo meat
production 72.000 tones by 2010 and 88.000 tones by year 2015.

Milk: 200,000 head by 2010 and 350,000 by 2015; fresh milk production 350,000
tones by 2010 and 670,000 tones by 2015. The dairy industry sets the target of
meeting 33% of the milk demand by 2010 and 42% by 2015

R&D Scope



Genetic improvement through breeding and selection programs to generate beef,
dairy buffalo cattle breeds with higher productivity



Research to develop profitable technologies for feeding and managing beef, dairy
and buffalo cattle.



Research to develop feeding standards and to formulate nutritionally balanced
supplementary diets for beef and dairy cattle.



Research activities to develop animal waste management programs for
environmentally sustainable cattle production systems.

1.3

Coverage

Herds of beef, dairy and buffalo cattle owned by smallholders and state farms.
2.

INDUSTRY STATISTICS

2.1.

Introduction

Cattle production is an important area of agriculture production in general and livestock
production in particular. With rice as a main crop buffalo played an important role in
agriculture and in the life of Vietnamese farmers, they are often called “the beginning of
inheritance”. Buffalo are a multipurpose animal in agriculture production as they are
main source of draught power for land preparation and transportation in the rural area, and
supply a huge amount of fresh organic manure for cultivation. They are also well adapted
to using local feed resources, and are often a means of saving money, and a source of
credit for the farmers. As the mechanization process has been developed, the role of
supplying draught power was reduced, a part of buffalo population moved to meat
production.
Though the cattle production systems have been established long time ago, it was not
until 1960’s that the Government issued the first National policy to promote the
development of the cattle production systems. In order to shift from the production

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system for draught purpose to specialized meat and milk production systems, Vietnam
has been implementing a number of research projects and programs to improve the
quality of beef and dairy cattle breeds. However, the quality of beef and dairy cattle
breeds is still poor which results in beef and dairy production systems with a low
productivity and hence profitability.
In a production system, improving productivity and quality of meat or milk products is
closely related to profitability and sustainability of the system. However, in order to
achieve the target of producing foods of quality, hygiene and safety in the small
household-based system, it requires adequate investments of both finance and
technology.
2.2.

Industry Characteristics and Prospects

2.2.1

Animal Populations

Buffalo
Table 1. Buffalo Population (2001-2006) Unit: 1000 head
Location
Whole country

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2,807.8

2,814.4

2,834.9

2,869.8

2,922.1

2,921.1

136.9

125.8

164.9

154.6

145.9

120.6

1,263.7

1,267.7

1,224.1

1,213.1

1,226.4

1,237.7

North West

381.2

390.3

399.3

437.8

453.1

465.1

North Central Coast

685.4

689.3

706.9

719,4

743.4

737.7

South Central Coast

127.8

129.8

136.9

134.4

139.5

156.5

47.4

47.6

65.9

68.7

71.9

79.0

125.2

126.4

106

105.4

103.3

85.6

40.2

37.2

35.8

36.4

38.8

37.8

Red River delta
North East

Central Highlands
South East
Mekong River Delta

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, MARD (2006)


Over the last 6 years, the total buffalo population increased 4%; however, there was a
slight decline in some zones while increased in the others.



The percentage of the buffalo population in each region is North East (42%), North
Central Coast (25%), North West (16%), South Central Coast (5%), Red River Delta
(4%), South East (3%), Central Highlands (3%), and Mekong River Delta (1%).

Beef Cattle


Compared with 2000 cattle numbers have increased by approximately 58%



Cattle are raised in all 8 ecological zones i.e. Red River Delta, North East, North
West, North Central Coast, South Central Coast, Central Highlands, South East, and
Mekong River Delta. The cattle population differs from region to region and the
Central Region (North Central Coast, South Central Coast, and Central Highlands)
has the biggest herd- 2.488 million heads or 37.6% of the total population.

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

The statistics shows a slight reduction in the population of cattle over the 2001-2002
period, followed by a steady but rapid increase thereafter.



The Mekong River Delta experienced the highest growth rate (344%).

Dairy Cattle
Table 3. Changes in the dairy population (2001-2006)
2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

*The North

6170

8216

17885

24151

26308

23335

Red River Delta

3543

5040

9033

11424

11975

10659

North East

2613

746

2910

4832

5458

5325

North West

14

2103

4044

5048

5058

4090

North Central Coast

35071

327

1898

2847

3817

3261

*The South

132

47632

61358

71643

77812

89880

South Central Coast

804

848

3532

5902

3014

1476

Central Highlands

32298

1007

1732

2119

2549

2901

South East

1837

41937

50098

56098

63939

75066

Mekong River Delta

41241

3840

4996

6823

8310

10437

*Whole country

41.241

55.848

79.243

95.794

104.120

113.215

Source: General Department for Statistics


Total dairy cattle population is 113,215, an increase of 3.78 times the number in
2001.



Dairy cattle are raised in all 8 ecological zones but some areas such as North East
and North Central Coast only established the dairy industry in 2001, yet the dairy
herds in these two zones in 2006 were 5325 and 3261 heads, respectively.



The dairy herd in Mekong River Delta had increased by approximately 5.7 times
during the 201-2006 period



According to the statistics the increase in the dairy herd was greatest during the 2002
to 2004 period as provinces and/or cities issued policies to promote dairy production.
However, this resulted in a high demand for dairy cows which in turn created a
bubble in price of breeding animals.



The subsequent rush into crossbreeding between improved native cows and HF
semen (with a poor selection of the cows) had resulted in dairy herds with low
performance.



In addition, several companies had imported pure HF and Jersey cows from America,
Australia, and New Zealand, with a poor consideration on the animal’s performance
and adaptability, to sell to provinces and/or cities. Many among these provinces did
not meet the minimum condition required for raising such dairy breeds, yet rushed
into the industry. Consequently, the dairy herd had a low milk yield and reproduction
rate, and hence a low economical efficiency.



During 2004 to 2006 period, the dairy herd increased at a rate of approximately 8.7%
per annum and this better reflected the actual capacity of Vietnam in developing the

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dairy industry. This population growth rate will create favourable conditions for a
deeper selection program of dairy breeding cows and hence a more profitable and
sustainable industry.


Most dairy cows are in the South East (66%) and Red River Delta (21%) zones, and
these two areas are also the two main economic centres of Vietnam and the major
markets for dairy products. Therefore processing facilities for milk and dairy
products are mainly located in these areas.



Dairy production has tended to be established in areas that have a large market and
processing facilities for milk and dairy products and some areas that have a potential
for dairy production such as Central Highlands, North West and North East regions
only have small dairy herds (some 2.6 – 4.7% of the whole herd) due to its long
distance to the big cities.

2.2.2. Breeds
Buffalo


Local buffaloes are of the Swamp type (different areas have different names e.g. Ngo
buffalo (big size) and Gie buffalo (small size) with a total population of nearly 3
million. In general, Vietnamese Swamp buffaloes have small body size, slow growth
rate, late maturity, long calving interval and low milk yield, but are adapted very well
with our ecological conditions and they have good disease resistance.



In the 1970s dairy Murrah buffaloes were imported from China, Bulgaria, and India
to improve productivity of local buffaloes. Murrah buffaloes were well adapted and
raised in many places and crossed with Swamp buffaloes. The number of Murrrah and
crosses are still small; they have been kept in state farms and used mainly for research.
The crossbred F1 have improved body size, growth rate, draught power, milk yield
and also reproductive performance, but at present the number of crossbred buffaloes
is small.

Beef Cattle


Native or Yellow cattle make up approximately 70% of the total beef cattle
population. The breed is small in frame and light in carcass weight, but is well
adapted to extensive production systems in small households and high in
reproduction rate.



Crossbred animals with more than 50% Zebu blood account 30% of the herd.
Crossbreds have a heavier liveweight (35% heavier than Yellow cattle), higher
carcass to liveweight ratio (3-5% higher) and adapts well to the household
conditions. The calving interval, however, is longer than the Yellow breed.



Pure breeds of large-frame beef cattle such as Brahman and Drought Master have
been imported and raised in several places through out the country since 2002. They
are less than 1% of the beef animals. Imported animals have heavier liveweight and

higher growth rate, but require better quality feeds and feeding practices than native
cattle. Therefore, they may not adapt to some places in Vietnam (e.g. Tuyen Quang).

Dairy Cattle

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Table 5. Breakdown of dairy breeds
Breed 1/2HF

3/4HF

>3/4HF

Pure
imported

Whole country (heads)

25,826

27,948

36,798

16,437

Whole country (% of total)

24.2

26.1

34.4

15.4

The North (heads)

10,231

6,061

2,963

11,116

The North (% of total)

33.7

20.0

9.8

36.6

The South (heads)

15,631

21,887

33,835

5,321

The South (% of total)

20.4

28.5

44.1

6.9

Region

Source: National Dairy Development Project (2005)


85% of the dairy herd are crossbred Holstein Friesian (HF) with just over 60% of
crossbreds being ¾ HF.



Pure dairy breeds imported to Vietnam such as HF and Jersey are kept mostly in Moc
Chau, Lam Dong, Thanh Hoa, and Tuyen Quang provinces.



The total number of imported dairy cattle in 2002 to 2004 is 10,000 cows.



Apart from provinces with a long tradition of raising pure HF cattle, some provinces
with relatively hot climate such as Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City are now raising
such animals. The milk yield of the pure HF cows in these provinces, however, is
lower and averaging approximately 80-85% of those animals raised in such
temperate climates as Moc Chau and Lam Dong.



Crossbred animals with a lower HF blood percentage withstand the poor feeding
condition and heat stress better than those with higher blood and/or imported pure
breeds.

2.2.3. Production
Meat Production
Table 6. Buffalo and beef meat production and proportion of total meat production
over 2001–2006 period (liveweight basis)
Items

2001

2002

2003

Total meat produced (1,000 tonne)

1,939.3

2,146.3

2,328.9

51,380

51,811

2004

2005

2006

2,505.7

2,812.1

3,073.2

53,061

57,457

59,800

64,317

0.8

2.4

8.3

4.1

7.5

2.4

2.3

2.3

2.1

2.1

Buffalo
Total buffalo meat (1,000 kg)
Growth rate of buffalo meat (%)

Percentage of buffalo meat in total
meat production (%)

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2.6

Data & Information Sheets


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Beef
Total beef produced (liveweight
basis, 1000 tones)

97.78

104.45

107.54

119.78

142.16

159.46

Growth rate of beef production (%)

4.3

6.9

2.9

11.4

18.7

12.16

Percentage of beef (in total meat
production, %)

5.03

4.64

4.59

4.75

5.05

5.19

Population (million people)

78.7

79.7

80.9

82

83.1

84

Production per capita

1.24

1.28

1.33

1.45

1.71

1.90

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, MARD (2006)


Buffalo meat is only about 2% of the total meat production and the annual growth
rate of meat produced by buffalos is also low (0.8-8.3%). Because of this proportion

of buffalo meat to total meat production falls year by year.



However, according to FAO, the total buffalo meat production of Vietnam is at sixth
position in the World.



Annual beef production increased at a high rate of 11 to 18%. The total beef
produced in 2006 was 70% higher than that in the year 2000. However, the total
beef produced annually still accounts for only a small proportion (4.6-5.2%) of the
total meat produced. The potential for beef domestic market is large.

Buffalo


Buffalo have been kept mainly for draught, meat is product of old (culled) or thin
ones. They were slaughtered without fattening, the meat percentages were low and
the quality was not good.

Table 7. Buffalo meat production in different zones (2002-2006) Unit: 1,000 kg
Location

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Whole country

51,380

51,811

53,061

57,457

59,800

64,317

Red River delta

3,709

4,107

4,675

5,223

5,239

5,990

North East

18,444

19,101

17,562

19,028

19,884

19,449

North West

5,106

5,230

6,139

6,284

6,919

7,554

North Central Coast

8,168

8,816

10,077

11,675

12,726

13,794

South Central Coast

2,147

2,016

2,225

2,380

3,246

3,377

Central Highlands

1,227

2,288

2,441

2,211

1,948

1,899

South East

8,732

8,720

8,022

8,829

8,117

10,478

Mekong River Delta

3,847

1,533

1,920

1,826

1,718

1,724

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, MARD (2006)


Buffalo meat has increased each year with a 25% increase over 6 years (av 4%/year).

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Table 8. Meat percentages of local swamp buffalo
Items

Unit

kg

kg
%
kg
%

Body weight
Dressing weight
Dressing percentage
Lean meat weight
Lean percentage

Old buffalo
(culled)
327
127.8
39
93.6
28.6

Young buffalo
(24 months of
age)
194
85.8
44.3
67.9
35.0



Source: Vu Duy Giang et al., 1999



Clearly culled buffaloes have very low dressing percentages. Young buffalo produce
higher dressing and lean meat percentages and this could be improved by a short
fattening period before slaughter.

Table 9. Growth rate and meat percentages of fattened young Swamp buffalo
Items
Average daily weight gain
Slaughter weight
Dressing weight
Lean meat weight
Dressing percentage
Lean meat percentage

Unit
g/day
Kg
Kg
Kg
%
%

Average value
520
219
99.7
82.6

45.5
37.7

Source: Nguyen Cong Dinh et al. (2007)
Beef
Table 10. Growth rate and percentage of carcass weight (in liveweight) of some cattle
breeds
Breed Unit

Yellow
cattle

Laisind
cattle

Kg
Kg

14
63.7

20.1
97.5

Kg

85

140

160

165

215

Kg

140

200

220

230

350

Kg
%

180
44.2

250
49.6

280
49.5

290
50

450
55

Parameter
Birth weight
Weight at 6 months
old
Weight at 12 months
old
Weight at 24 months
old
Mature weight
Carcass percentage (in
liveweight)

Sahiwal x Brahman x Pure
Yellow
Yellow
Zebu
cattle
cattle
cattle
22
23
27
105
107.5

140

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, MARD (2005)


The growth rate and carcass percentage of crossbred animals is higher than Yellow
cattle. The mature weight and carcass percentage of these groups is 38.8 to 61.1%
and 5.3 to 5.8% higher than those parameters of the Yellow breed. Crossbred cows

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have been further crossbred with bulls of high carcass-weight-potential and this is
contributing to the improvement of both quality and productivity of the beef cattle in
Vietnam.
Dairy Production
Table 11. Changes in number and production of the dairy herd and milk
production per capita (2000-2006)
2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Population (1000 heads)

35.0

41.2

55.9

79.2

95.8

104.1

113.2

Total milk produced (1000 tones)

52.2

64.7

78.7

126.7

151.3

197.7

216.0

Population (million people)

77.63

78.7

79.7

80.9

82

83.1

84

Milk produced/capita (kg)

0.67

0.82

0.98

1.57

1.84

2.38

2.57

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, MARD (2007)


Number and milk production of the dairy herd has continually increased with a 3 fold
increase in numbers and 5 fold increase in milk production over the last 6 years.
Higher growth rate of milk production as compared to the growth rate of dairy
population is attributed to a higher breed quality of the dairy herd and better nutrition
and feeding practices.

Table 12. Average milk yield (tones/cow/lactation) of pure and crossbred HF cows
2000

2002

2003

2004

2005

Crossbred HF

3.10

3.40

3.60

3.75

3.85

Pure HF

3.80

4.20

4.40

4.50

4.60

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry (2006)


Average milk yield of the crossbred HF cows in 2005 was 24.2% higher than in 2000
and for pure HF cows was 21.1% higher.

2.3.

Value and Markets



Buffalo Beef, milk and dairy products are mainly sold in the domestic market.



Consumption of all meat has increased by 44.58% and that of beef by 53.23% over
the 2001-2006 period. However, beef consumption still accounts for a small
proportion in the total meat consumption (only 5-6%).



Buffalo meat consumption is low (0.6-0.7 kg/person/year) and the proportion in the
total meat consumption is about 2%.



The beef consumption per capita in Vietnam is approximately 45.86 and 17.78% that
consumption per capita of the South East Asia region (2.95 kg/capita) and Asia
continent (8.43 kg/capita), respectively.

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

As the quality of beef produced in Vietnam is relatively low it is mainly consumed
by low and medium income consumers.



In the top markets such as hotels, restaurants, and big supermarkets, imported beef
accounts for the majority even though the price is always higher (2.5 to 3 times) than
the local products.



Milk produced by the dairy industry in Vietnam is approximately 30% of the demand
since the average milk consumption in the year 2000 was 5.2 kg per capita and in
2005 7.9 kg while milk produced in 2005 was only 2.38 kg per capita.



Farm gate price for high quality fresh milk is 4500 VND/kg. The comparative price
for reconstituted milk (including import tax and VAT) is 4760 VND/kg (excluding
freight).

2.4.

Comparative Advantage



According to FAO assessment, the trend of animal production in the world towards
2020 is that production of animal products will be moving from developed to
developing countries. It is expected that Asia will become the biggest animal
production continent.



Because of the low level of production of meat and milk, compared with domestic
demand there is a large domestic market to be developed.



The Vietnamese farmer has a saying “take your labour as your business profit” the
price of animal products is relatively flexible and hence very competitive.



The milk yield of dairy cows in Vietnam is comparable to that of dairy cattle in other
countries in South East Asia such as Thailand (3.2 tones/lactation) and Indonesia (3.1
tones/lactation).



Cattle can use agro-industrial by-products and small and poor quality grasslands and
farmers consider cattle production a business with minimum daily investment and
often lower risk as compared with other animals.



Membership of WTO is likely to increase competition from imported beef meat and

dairy products with many competing countries having lower costs per kg of
production and higher quality standards.

2.5.

Government Policies



Decision 167/2001/QĐ –TTg issued by the Prime Minister stating policies and
measures for the development of dairy industry over the period from 2001 to 2010
Associated with this a number of policies such as giving free AI equipment and
materials, free vaccine for contagious diseases prevention to the dairy producer,
provision of low rate or free interest loans to dairy households, provision of
education and training to farmers, and transferring advanced technology into dairy
industry has been issued.



Resolution 142/2005/NĐ –CP issued by Prime Minister on 14 Nov, 2005 on land and
waters lease for cattle production.



Resolution NQ 3/2000-NQ-CP, 09/2000-NQ-CP and Decision 167/2001/QĐ –TTg
issued by Prime Minister encourage localities to use a part of arable land for grass

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plantation for dairy cattle and allow milk producers to have long term land lease to
build animal house and grow grass/pasture.

3.

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

3.1.

Structure

Households and Size of Holdings
Buffalo


Buffaloes have been kept extensively by small farmers, with most keeping one or
two head. However, in the mountains, there are many families raising 5 to 10 heads.



Annually, a large number of buffaloes from the mountain areas are supplied to
farmers in the delta areas.



Two state farms keep a small number of breeding buffaloes, mainly for research.



In some places, middle men collected thin and old buffalo for fattening in feedlots,
but they did not last and the number of buffalos was low.

Beef and Dairy


Cattle production in general and dairy production in particular occurs mainly in small
households with 1-5 head/household.



In 2005, there were 3404 commercial beef cattle farms in the whole country, of
which 1064 farms were in the North (31.26%) and 2340 farms in the South
(68.74%). Farms raising beef cattle often cultivate other crops in order to effectively
exploit by-products of such crops as roughage source for the animal.



The total number of dairy farms is 19,639 (average 5.3 head/household), of which
12,626 farms (64.3%) are located in the South (6.3 head/household) and 7,013 farms
(35.7%) in the North (3.7 head/household). The number of farms having 1-5 heads is
17,676 (90% of the total) but the size of dairy herds in the households is changing
towards increasing the number of households with 5 to 10 cows and decreasing the
those with less than 5 animals.
Table 4. Breakdown by size of the number of cattle farm in Vietnam (2006

Data)



92% of beef herds are under 200 head and 96% of dairy herds are below 50 head.



The number of farms having more than 500 head is very low (0.31% for beef and
0.06% for dairy cattle). Thus the size of both beef and dairy farms is small and need
to be enlarged if the cattle production is to become an industry producing market
oriented beef and dairy products with high quality. The size appropriate for
producing market oriented commodities will allow profitable investment into and
application of advanced technologies in the farm.

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3.2.

Supporting Infrastructure



Moncada breeding bull centre: the centre built in 1972 and upgraded recently (JICA
project 2001-2005) now applies the Japanese procedure for production of bovine
semen straws.



AI system established in 1972 (Cuba assistance) to provide AI services to cows in
provinces and/or cities through out the country. At present, most dairy cattle are
served by AI but beef cattle in a much smaller scale.



A number of pure breeding companies for beef cattle in Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh
Hoa, Son La and Tuyen Quang provinces.



Four pure breeding companies for dairy cattle in Moc Chau, Lam Dong, Thanh Hoa
and Tuyen Quang provinces.



Two beef processing plants with a high capacity in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh
cities and many small scale slaughter houses in other cities and/or provinces.



Milk processing companies including Dutch Lady in Binh Duong, Nestle in Ha Tay,
Hanoimilk in Ha Noi, Vinamilk (with a number of milk processing facilities in Ho
Chi Minh, Can Tho, Binh Dinh, Nghe An, and Ha Noi), milk processing factory of
Lam Son sugar company in Thanh Hoa, and Moc Chau dairy company in Moc Chau.

3.3.

Future Market Trends and Key Issues



All beef and milk products produced in Vietnam are for domestic consumption as
Vietnam imports most of its dairy and beef meat.



Consumption of milk and dairy products is increasing as income increases. It is
estimated that the growth rate of milk consumption will increase by 8-9% per annum
if GDP growth continues at around 7%.



Currently Vietnam imports approximately 470,000 tones of milk annually which will
increase to 710,000 tones by 2010. Milk produced in Vietnam can only meet 33% of
the demand. Thus there remains a huge market for milk and dairy products.



According to FAO, in the whole world, there is one cattle for every 4.7 people and
the beef consumption is 5.5 kg per person. In Vietnam there is one cattle for every
12.9 people and the beef consumption is only 1.9 kg/capita. Beef accounts for only
5.19% of the total meat consumption and beef price is more stable than other
mammal and poultry meat.



The cost of beef and milk production that relies on imported feeds is likely to

increase significantly as world feed grain prices increase due to increasing emphasis
on bio-fuel production.



The demand for quality and safety in beef and milk production is likely to increase as
increased consumption is associated with an increase in the number of people with
higher disposable incomes.

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


12

4. R&D INFORMATION
4.1.

Main Research Areas



Tabulation of nutrient requirements at different ages, body weight and production
rates. Consolidation of feed tables for dairy and beef cattle and buffalo.



Development and application of new and/or modified techniques for better
production, processing and utilization of roughage and supplement sources, better

feeding practices, herd management and healthcare.



Establishment of large scale and medium size of intensive buffalo, beef and dairy
farms to enhance the producing of commercial buffalo meat with bigger amount to
meet domestic consumption and exportation in future.



Research projects on feeds and nutrition, animal production and animal health, and
projects which aim to (1) improve breed quality of beef and dairy cattle; (2) upgrade
research facilities; (3) educate and train extension workers and farmers.



Implementation of research activities on market and marketing systems to develop
appropriate strategies for production and sale of beef and dairy products.



Application of advanced technologies such as embryo splitting, embryo transferring,
molecular genetics technique and traditional methods into selection and creation of
new beef and dairy breeds with higher yield and quality potential.

4.2. Major Research Providers
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)


National Institute of Animal Husbandry (NIAH)



Centre for Livestock Research and Development in Mountainous Area,



Centres for Research and Transferring Advanced Technologies for Livestock
Production in Ho Chi Minh city and Central Coast Region



Ba Vi Cattle and Forage Research Centre.



Southern Institute for Agricultural Science and Technology



Tay Nguyen Scientific Institute for Agriculture and Forestry in DakLak province.



Northern and Mountainous Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Studies in Phu Tho
province



National Institute of Veterinary and Medicine

Agricultural Universities including


Hanoi Agricultural University



Ho Chi Minh Agricultural and Forestry University



Hue Agricultural and Forestry University



Thai Nguyen Agricultural and Forestry University



Tay Nguyen Agricultural and Forestry University.

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


13

Others



Department of Animal Husbandry



Animal Breeding Centre in all provinces and/or cities,



Vietnam Livestock Corporation.

4.3.

Funding



Buffalo: Total funds for 2006 R&D activities was approximately 3 billions VND



Beef and Dairy: In 2006, Central and local Governments approximately 6 billion
VND,
International Organizations approximately 3 billion VND, with a total
funding of approximately 9 billion VND.

4.4.

Major R & D Achievements to date

Buffalo


Improving the quantity and quality of buffalo meat to meet human demands.



Use of locally available feed resources such as cassava root meal, cassava leaves,
leucaena leaf meal, molasses, urea-treated rice straw and ensiled maize stover for
fattening young buffalo (18 to 21 months of age).



Selection of large size bulls and good dams to improve body size of local small
buffalo. Vietnamese Swamp buffaloes have small body size, slow growth rate, late
maturity, long calving interval and low milk yield, but they are adapted very well to
the ecological conditions in Vietnam and they have a good resistance/tolerance to the
local diseases. Using large bulls (500-600kg) body size of local small buffalo was
increased more than 10% compared to local small buffalo at all ages (from birth to
24 months of age).



Crossbreeding with Murrah bulls to improving body size and meat production.
Crossing with local Swamp females, produced crossbred F1 buffaloes with body
weights higher by about 20%. After fattening, the buffaloes were slaughtered at 24
months of age and slaughter weights and meat percentages of crossbred F1 were
higher than local swamp buffalo. Compared with young swamp buffaloes at 24
months of age, the crossbred F1 increased about 50% in quantity of meat.



Use of locally available feed resources such as cassava root meal, cassava leaves,
leucaena leaf meal, molasses, urea-treated rice straw and ensiled maize stover, for
fattening young buffalo (18 to 21 months of age). For buffaloes with body weight of
approximately 200 kg, the ration was about 5.5 to 6 kg of dry matter, in which 2025% was from concentrate and 75-80% from roughage. The feed supplied 500-600g
crude protein and 50-55MJ metabolisable energy. After 2 months of fattening, body
weight gain was 500 to 700 g/day, and the dressing percentage and lean meat content
were also increased.

Beef and Dairy


Improvement of liveweight and carcass percentage of Yellow cattle. Crossbreeding
between Native cows and Zebu bulls showed F1 crossbred animals were 35-40%

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


14

heavier in liveweight, 5-8% higher in carcass percentage (carcass weight/liveweight),
and 3-5% higher in lean meat percentage (lean meat weight/liveweight).


Crossbreeding to create beef specialized cattle. Investigation of beef quality and
productivity of crossbred animals born from improved cows inseminated with semen

of Bos indicus and Bos Taurus meat specialized bulls. Results showed that progeny
resulting from crossbreeding between improved native cows and Brahman, Brangus,
Limousine, Santa Gertrudis, Charolais, and Simental semen had higher growth rates,
heavier live and carcass weights and higher beef quality than those of Yellow or
LaiSind cattle. The result also indicated that F1 Charolais x Lasind crossbred animals
had the highest performance. The averaged liveweight of these crossbred animals
was 360 kg at 24 months old with carcass and lean meat percentages of 52 and 44%,
respectively.



LaSind crossbred animals had the highest performance. The averaged liveweight of
these crossbred animals was 360 kg at 24 months old with carcass and lean meat
percentages of 52 and 44%, respectively. The animals also had gentle temperament
and were able to withstand poor quality feeds and hot and humid weather conditions.



Crossbreeding to create dairy specialized cattle. Crossbreeding between LaiSind
cows and pure HF semen and HF and Brown Swiss bulls showed that LaSind cows
and semen of HF bulls were the most appropriate to Vietnam. Results from
subsequent research programs on dairy cattle which have been continually
implementing since 1980s indicate that crossbred dairy cows with 75% of HF blood,
achieving an averaged milk yield of  4000 kg/lactation, are the most adaptable to
feeding conditions of small households in all ecological zones in Vietnam



Research to improve milk quality and productivity of the pure HF dairy herds using
imported bulls and cows from the USA that produced an average milk yield of 6036

kg for the first lactation and 6546 kg for the second, calving interval of 14.3 months
for the second calving and 12.9 months for the third calving



Formulation of nutritionally balanced diets for beef and dairy cattle at different
growth stages and production rates. Tabulation and/or update tables of chemical
composition and nutritive values of animal feeds, digestibility of ruminant feeds, and
Tables of dietary formula for beef and dairy cattle



Development of methods for processing, preservation, and utilization of roughages
and/or agro-industrial by-products, and manuals introducing good feeding strategies,
good managing practices and finishing skills to beef and dairy herds.



Biotechnology: Production of bovine semen straws and procedure for embryo
transferring. Technologies of In vitro insemination, embryonic cleavage, and early
determination of embryo’s gender are also being investigated but as yet the results
are limited.

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


15

5.

SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths

















Monsoon climate is favourable for growth of
grass and fodder trees for cattle, especially in
the rainy season.
Agro-industrial by-products are abundant and
can be a valuable source of feed for cattle.
Native and crossbred cattle and swamp
buffalo are well adapted to geographic and
climatic conditions.
Abundant labour force in rural areas with a

high proportion literacy will assist in transfer
of advanced technologies into cattle
production systems.
Strong Government support for development
of beef and dairy industries and credits and/or
loans for development of cattle production are
available and easy to obtain.
International Organizations also provide
active support for household based cattle
production development projects.
There is a huge and stable domestic market
for beef and dairy products.
Buffalo are main source of draught power for
land preparation and transportation in the rural
area, and supply a huge amount of fresh organic
manure for cultivation.
The mechanization process has been
developed, the role of supplying draught
power was reduced, a part of buffalo
population moved to meat production.

Weaknesses




















Opportunities






There is a huge potential for development of
the domestic market for beef and buffalo meat
and dairy products.
Major research opportunities in development
of more productive feed management systems
involving conservation and storage to
overcome problems in the dry season
Improved production through development of
larger and more intensively managed herd of

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Substantial feed deficits in dry seasons
Hot and humid climate leads to heat stress in
dairy herds with high levels of HF blood and
milk yield, especially those with a HF blood of
>75%.
The small scale of cattle farms creates
difficulties in breed improvements and
planning for roughage production and
preservation in the dry season.
Tropical grasses have relatively low nutritive
values and proportion of legumes in grasslands
is low, especially in natural pastures.
Farmer preference for maroon colour,
pronounced humps and large dewlaps may also
impact on productivity improvement
Native breeds have a small size and hence
liveweight and productivity.
Knowledge and skills of the farmer is still
limited. Farmers are not yet professional beef
and/or milk producers.
The network for transferring advanced
technologies to the farmer is still weak
Relatively poor cattle husbandry and
management systems.
Cooperatives and Associations of beef and
dairy cattle are still weak and incapable of
protecting the right and/or benefit of the farmer
against unfair treatments from traders and milk
collectors and processors.

There is no certified agency for grading and
ratifying beef quality and thus the difference in
price between high and medium quality beef is
very marginal.
The national system for quality control of milk
and dairy products is relatively poor.

Threats





Competitiveness of beef and dairy industries in
Vietnam is low due in part to their small scale.
Vietnam entry into WTO and reduction of
import tax for animal products will increase
competition in the domestic market from
imports.
Disease, particularly FMD will have impacts
on production and the movement of animals

Data & Information Sheets


16











beef and dairy cattle.
Improvements in the health and husbandry
systems through development of on-farm
production monitoring systems
Improved quality of beef and milk products
through improved growth rates, milk
collection and transport systems and
slaughtering and post-slaughter handling
systems
Improvement in genetic merit through
crossbreeding and selection and development
of livestock recording systems
Multiplication of proven genetically superior
livestock through more targeted use of AI,
development of progeny testing systems and
in the longer term embryo transfer techniques
Collaborative work to improve the production
and digestibility of forages and legumes.

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets

17

ARDO 2:
1.

ARDO DEFINITION

1.1

SMALL RUMINANT ANIMALS

National Goal

Increasing productivity, quality of products (meat and milk) and product diversify
through processing enhance market competitiveness of small ruminants, contributing to
improvement of livestock sector’s percentage contribution to the national GDP.
1.2

R&D Scope:

Research including: (i) Genetic improvement through selection and crossbreeding to
increase meat and milk productivity; (ii) Development of management and good
husbandry systems in different ecological regions; (iii) Identification of economically
important diseases, and development of prevention, treatment and management systems
to minimize impacts; (iv) development of forage production ,conservation and use of
local feed resources to improve yield and quality of meat and milk production; (v)
Development of small-scale meat and milk processing practices that ensure food quality
and safety and development of appropriate supply chains for marking small volumes of
product; (vi) Development of financial model for herd production systems to optimise

returns.
1.3


Coverage

Domestic breeds: Goats Co(Co), Bach Thao (BT)
Sheep: Phan Rang



Exotic breeds:

Goats: Barbari (Ba), Jumnapari (Jum), Beetal (Be), Boer (Bo),
Alpine (Alp), Saanen (Sa)
Sheep: Dorper, Suffolk



Cross-breeds:

Bach Thao*Co (BTCo); Boer*Bachthao (Bo*BT);
Boer*Jumnapari (Bo*Jum); Boer* Beetal (Bo*Be)

Targets


By 2010 need to achieve, 4.2m head producing 1.26m tons milk and 25.36m tons
goat/lamb meat. Small ruminant production to be considered “organic meat” for
human consumption

2.

INDUSTRY STATISTICS

2.1

Introduction

Small ruminant production is based on smallholder production (about 90%) with a focus
on food production for human consumption. Production is suitable for poor farmers, in
areas where it is difficult to grow cash crops and production systems do not require high
investment, labour cost is low and cash flow is generated early in newly established
herds. It is a much lower risk from of livestock production compared with large
animals. The industry is based on small herd sizes, reliance on extensive grazing and
feeding systems and consequently has low productivity and low quality product
produced. . At present, there are 5 zones that can supply breeding goats with dairy and

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


18

meat production. Sheep were also imported from Australia (Dorper and White Suffolk
breeds) but the number is low (60).
2.2

Industry Characteristics and Prospects

Populations
Table 1. Goat and Sheep Population (2001-2006) Unit: 1000 head
Location

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Red River Delta

44.023

46.003

58.500

64.667

70.803

60.677

North East

173.613

182.594

214.495

250.724

290.189

330.833

North West

81.579

95.256

112.614

141.386

169.825

180.714

North Central Coast

108.102

93.652

124.342

161.586

200.500

207.628

South Central Coast

36.591

29.464

32.308

39.430

61.924

67.550

Central Highlands

35.666

39.460

47.599

68.776

98.579

116.138

South East

67.671

95.035

120.558

175.307

247.741

356.432

Mekong River Delta

25.203

40.449

69.978

118.320

174.628

205.288

*Whole country

572.448

621.913

780.354

1,020.196

1,314.189

1,525.260

Source: Department for Animal Husbandry, MARD (2006)


In 2005, the number of goats and sheep accounted for 3.49 percent of the total
domestic livestock and 13.29 percent of the ruminant herd.



Over the last 6 years, the total goat and sheep population increased 166% (3.71 times
compared to cattle). The average annual growth rate is 27.6 Highest growth rate of
population in the whole country was found in Mekong River Delta area (62.24%) and
opposite Red River Delta area (12.61%) is slowest



Nearly 53% of the goats and sheep are located in 10 provinces (Ha Giang, Ninh
Thuan, Nghe An, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Bac Can,
Dak lac.



Goats and sheep are mainly raised for meat production (98.84%). Dairy goats raised
for milk production are low (0.15%).



Sheep flocks are only distributed in 7 provinces and at the Goat and Rabbit Research
Centre, Son Tay, Ha Tay. Total population has increased from 4.000 heads (1976) to
56.827 heads (2005). Highest population is found in Ninh Thuan (42.000 heads)



Target sheep numbers are 2.48m (2010) and 4.18m (2015). The flocks will be
concentrated into Northeast, Southeast and North-Central regions. Crossbreeds will
consist of 45% of total herds in 2010 and 50% for year 2015.

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


19

Breeds
Breeds
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Total

Co
Bach Thao
Indian breeds
Boer
Saanen
Alpine
Crosses

1
2
3
Total

Phan Rang
Australian sheep
Other local sheep

Number in 2005
Goat breeds
618,862
165,000
20,000
1500
1000
1000
450,000
1,257,362
Sheep breeds
51,767
60
5000
56,827

% of total population
49.21
13.12
1.59
0.12
0.08
0.08
35.79
100
91.10

0.10
8.79
100



Local goat breeds are Co and Bach Thao. In 1990s, the exotic breeds were imported
from India (Jumnapari, Barbari and Beetal). They adapted well to local conditions and
were used to cross with local goats to improve the productivities as multi-purpose goats.
The crosses are adapted very well and shown good performance in milk and meat
production.



Three other specialized breeds Boer, Saanen, Alpine were imported from United States
of America. They were also adapted well to local conditions. The crosses with local
goats were also shown good performance in milk, meat or milk and meat production.



There are 5 breeding areas in the country: Ha Tay-Hoa Binh produced dairy-meat
breeds; Thanh Hoa-Ninh Binh produced meat breeds; Ninh Thuan-Binh Dinh is
dairy-meat breeding area; Song Be-Tay Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City- Binh Phuoc is
dairy-meat breed area and South East-Tien Giang-Tra Vinh_Hau Giang produced
dairy-meat breeds

Meat Production
Goat and Sheep Meat Production (2001-2005)
Location

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

1,939.3

2,146.3

2,328.9

2,505.7

2,812.1

3,686

4,179

5,462

7,427

9,567

13.4

13.1

13.6

12.9

0.19

0.19

0.23

0.29

0.34

Total goat & sheep population (head)

572,448

621,913

780,354

1,020,196

1,314,189

Number goats & sheep slaughtered (head)

160,285

174,136

218,499

285,655

367,973

0.046

0.052

0.067

0.090

0.115

Total meat produced (1,000 tone)
Total goat and sheep meat (1,000 kg)
Growth rate goat & sheep (%)
Percentage of goat and sheep meat in total
meat production (%)

Average per capita consumption (kg)

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, MARD (2006)

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


20


Goat and sheep meat production increased continuously during the period from 2001
to 2005 with the high rate. The total goat and sheep meat produced in 2005 was
almost three times higher than that in 2001.



Although in 2005, goat and sheep contributed about ten thousand tons of meat for
domestic consumption, average goat and sheep meat per capita is still very little
(only 0.115 kg/person/year).



The annual growth rate of goat and sheep meat production is quite high in recent
years (about 13%) and by comparison, is much higher than the growth rate of total
meat production in the whole country.



Demonstration on development cross goats (BT*Co; BT*India breeds) for meat
production in Ha Tay, Lac Thuy district and in Hoa Binh have earned from 3-4.5

million/year with herd size less than 10 female, from 5-8.5 million/year with herd
size range from 10-20 females and 6-12 million for herd size of more than 20
females.



Target meat production is, 25.360 tons in 2010 and 42.604 tons in 2015.

Milk Production


Both population of and milk produced by dairy goats increased 3 times over the
2001-2005 period.



Milk production remains low. In 2001 total milk production in whole country was
estimated an amount of 115 tons/year and reached to 319 tons/year in 2005.



Average milk per person per year is too small, only 0.001 litter/person/year (in 2001)
and 0.004 litter/person/year (in 2005). Price of milk is high as the cost of breeding
stock is high. There are 2 provinces, Ha Tay and Ho Chi Minh City, where dairy goat
raising for the commodity milk but the yield is not high as breed’s potential



The income from dairy goats could achieve 7-8 million VND/year, milking 3
does/farm all year.

Dairy goat population and milk production
Province
Ha Tay

Ho Chi Minh City

2001

2003

2005

2001

2003

2005

Goat population

5.900

6.704

9.754

1.026

2.476

9.384

Dairy goat population (pure
+cross) (head)

2997

3405

4954

521

1258

4766

Reproduction dairy goats (head)

1199

1362

1982

208

503

1906

Pegnancy does yearly (head)

1019

1158

1684

144

428

1620

Milk production yearly (kg)

98.573

112.006

162.964

17.142

41.367

156.782

Total milk production in the country (From Ha Tay and HCM city)

Year
Total milk production (kg)

Livestock Priority Workshop.

2001

2003

2005

115,715

153,374

319,746

Data & Information Sheets


21
Average milk consumed per person/year
(litter)

0,001

0,002

0,004

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry, MARD (2007)


Target milk production in 2010 is be 1.259 tons and in 2015 is 2.473 tons.

Small Ruminant Productivity


Small ruminant productivity is measured by live weigh gain and reproduction
through generations compared to the breeding potential and number of new breeds
created to supply for production’s demands.
Current Productivity

Goat Breed
Parameter
Body weight (kg) (Female Male)
At birth
At 3 months
At 6 Month
At 12 Month
Meat production at 9 months
Carcass rate (%)
Meat rate (%)
Milk production, (litter/day)
Average milk yield
Lactation length (days)
Reproductive performance
- First kidding age (days
- Kidding intervals (days)
- Litter size in average

(kid/litter)
- Single born rate, %
- Twinborn and over rate, %
Feed conversion efficiency
(kg DM/kg gain) from birth
to 9 month

Bach
Thao

Co

F1
(BT*Co)

Ba

Jum

Be

Bo

Sa

Alp

2.49-2.84
18.3-22.6
29.2-40.0

1.76-1.92
9.2-10.25
16.1-19.1

2.08-2.21
15.0-18.0
23.2-25.5

2.1-2.3
9.1-9.4
13.5-15.8
19.3-24.3

2.9-3.5
10.7-13.2
17.4-20.9
25.8-35.6

3.4-3.9
11.7-13.1
17.6-19.5
24.2-34.2

2.8 - 3.1
15.1 - 16.3
25.8 - 28.1
41.9 - 48.6

2.99-3.28

12.7 - 14.5
17.5 - 24.4
29.4 - 35.8

2.58 - 3.12
11.6 - 13.7
15.2 - 22.9
26.4 - 32.5

42.8
30.0

45.8
33.4

44.6
32.8

45.1
29.0

47.8
30.6

46.0
28.7

-

-

-

1.51
148

0.32
105

0.81
115

1.3
155

2.1
179

1.9
186

-

2.8-3.0
275-300

2.4 - 2.7
250 - 280

346

217
2.09

330
257
1.35

300
213
1.75

250
281
1.55

401
316
1.39

435
312
1.36

618
325
1.8
-

476
362

1.65
-

467
336
1.60
-

26.5
73.5

70.5
29.5

44.6
55.4

37.2
62.8

69.7
30.3

68.8
31.2

-

-

-

4.49

5.34

4.34

6.07

6.89

6.60

6.47

6.71

6.55

Sheep breed
Phan Giang

Phan Rang sheep belong thin-short tail group, the age of first oestrus is at 7-8 month of age, the oestrus cycl
ranges from 18 to 21 days, Pregnant time is 5 months, body weigh at born is about 1.8-2.4 kg, body weight o
mutual ewes range from 39 to 41 kg and lambs/rams is 43 to 50 kg.

Value and Markets


Goat and sheep meat and milk is all sold in the domestic market.



In 1996, the live goat price was 8000 VND per kg, in 2003 was up to 23,000 VND
per kg, nearly twice as high as that of pork which was 11,000 – 12,000 VND per kg.
In 2005, the live goat price increased to 35,000 VND per kg.



Livestock prices of goat/sheep breeds are relatively high, usually at 4-5 million
VND/doe or ewe.

Comparative Advantage
Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets


22


Small ruminants compete well against other large red meat animal production as the
capital cost and operational costs of livestock are lower than for cattle. The ability of
smallholders to manage risks and to produce acceptable income levels is also greater
than for large animals



According to FAO assessment, Asia will become the biggest animal production

continent and as incomes rise domestic demand for red meat and milk will rise.



The largest producers are China (1,5m tons/yr); India (0.48m tons/yr); and Pakistan
(0.37m tons/yr). Vietnam produces about 3000 tons, so competition from other
producers if it occurs is more likely in the domestic market.



Goat and sheep production in small households of Vietnam can still be competitive
in the International market because of its labour advantages and the domestic market
for goat and sheep meat still has a huge potential for expansion.

Government Policies


(No of 06 - NQ/TW, No of 03/2000/NQ-CP, No of 14-CP, No 106/2004/NĐ-CP
dated 01/4/2004) and 4 Decisions (No 02/2001/QĐ - TTg, No of 167/2001/QĐ-TTg,
No of 125-CT dated 18/4/1991; No of 225/1999/QĐ-TTG dated 10/12/1999) for
approving the programs of animal and plant breeding in the period of 2000-2005.



Decree-law No of 3166, 4676, and 4677 on admitting of new breeding and
technologies transfer to the practice were issued and contributing the increase of new
breed and the technologies accepted



MARD related Decisions on animal breeds and new techniques in production (No of
64 -NN-TCCB dated 12/12/1989, No of 66-NN-TCCB-QĐ dated 2/4/1993, No of
2107/QQD/BNN/TCCB, No of 83/QĐ/VCN - TCHC dated 4/8/2004 by director of
National Institute of Animal Husbandry,



Decision No of 2903 QD/BNN-KH on September 22nd, 2004 by MARD for
establishment and operation of a Sub-Research Centre for Breeding Goats and Sheep
in Ninh Thuan and setting up a project of developing goat and sheep breeds under the
program of animal breeds 2006-2010..

3

Industry Analysis

3.1

Structure

Households and Size of Holdings


Goats and Sheep have been kept extensively by small farmers. There is no
information on the number of farms keeping goat and sheep. At present, there are
some state farms keeping breeding goats and sheep.



Herd size ranges from 10-20 heads in most of goat farms in the North. About 10% of

goat farms have herd size of 30-50 head found in Ha Giang, Nghe An, Hoa Binh and
Ninh Binh. Larger herd size (50-75 head) is located in Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan
accounts 63-75% and very big herds of goat and sheep exist in these regions.



Goat and sheep production in Vietnam is based on small farms and extensive farming
systems. In most small-holder systems, goats are either grazed around the house and
road sides or taken to grazing commons during the day, then housed at night. In this

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23

case, the quality and quantity of feed available will vary with the incidence and
intensity of rainfall, and with the distance of the grazing reserves from the village.


Goat/sheep farmers usually use only one male for mating for many generations, with
ratios of 1 male/50 females for sheep and 1/20-60 for goats.



High livestock prices mean that most does and ewes are kept for breeding without
selection, resulting in relatively low quality of breeds and the likelihood of
inbreeding.



There are no larger scale improvement programs based on open nuclear breed herd

Animal Health Status


Goats are often infected by endemic diseases of national and international
significance, such as foot and mouth disease.



A second group of regional infectious diseases which lead to significant production
and economic losses through morbidity and mortality (eg Pleuropneumonia,
Pasteurellosis, Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE)).



The third level of intervention is associated with local production diseases, which
may be controlled by better animal management and the strategic use of drugs and
traditional medicines. These diseases include internal and external parasites, as well
as bacterial (mostly Clostridial), mycoplasmal and viral diseases of sporadic
occurrence.



A fourth category of diseases of concern are those that are known to be also
transmissible to humans (eg Leptospirosis), Q fever, Brucellosis.



Liver fluke is a big problem for sheep production at present time

Feed supply


Mainly from native sources (grasses/plants) consequently resulting feed shortage in
dry/winter season.



Small ruminant raisers have to use by-agro products and planted multipurpose trees
as Jack fruit, and forage trees (Acacia etc) with low nutritive value



Processing and conservation feed resources for animal in dry season is not a general
practice but would have potential for overcoming seasonal feed shortages in
dry/winter



Uncontrolled grazing of goats in forests and national parks is a contentious issue and
the limited amounts of quality roughage combined with intensive crop production
have led to a heavy dependence on forest fodders and eventually leading to the loss
of plant species diversity and forest reserves especially in remote areas and is now
banned.



There is a need to increase small ruminant production from a forage base, to develop
forage resources, which will provide a continuous supply of high quality feed to meet
the needs of an expanding small ruminant population.

Housing

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24


Local materials mainly used for making small ruminant houses. Cost for
construction is low, but housing standard is not good enough to ensure animal health.



Animal housing is generally small and unhygienic due to lack of capital and land. As
the result, the pen becomes muddy and crowded causing worm infection and other
diseases for animals. High humidity combining with under nutrition promotes the
multiplication of various disease-causing organisms and deaths in cold or rainy
seasons.

3.2

Supporting Infrastructure

Veterinary Services



A grassroot veterinary network operates over the whole country but the availability
and capacity is insufficient for working with villages in the mountainous areas.



There is a lack of veterinary medicines (quantity and quality) and disease prevention
and management practices and adoption of animal housing hygiene to prevent the
diseases for animal are not of a high standard.



Inoculation against disease epidemics is not fully implemented with only 30-35% of
animals vaccinated. More importantly, outbreaks of diseases such as goat pox
occurred and are recurrent in many goat farms in Centre Region



Vaccine availability and poor vaccination practices limit the success in prevention of
infectious diseases.



In recent years initiatives to control the diseases for goats and sheep such as pink eye
disease, mastitis, and parasitic diseases have been developed by to date these have
only been applied in national units, research centre, or some demonstrations
supported by Government

Processing



Small scale Technologies on collecting, preserving and processing goat milk into the
cheese has been introduced to Vietnam. Goat cheese, at present, is a high quality
product. This product is processed and consumed in the country at a competitive
price with the world market.



80 demonstration farms collecting the goat milk for processing were established at
Ba Vi and Son Tay, Ha Tay. At present, sterilized milk and yoghurt are not sufficient
to meet domestic demands.



Milk liquid (whey), a by-product in processing goat cheese, is food for pigs and
goats



There are no facilities for processing meat, skins, fibre of goat and sheep. There are
many small slaughter units but control and management of slaughter operations, and
the standard of hygiene in slaughter houses is poor, affecting food safety, spread of
diseases and adverse environmental effects.

3.3.

Markets

World Markets

Livestock Priority Workshop.

Data & Information Sheets