March 17, 2006

 

First ILDEX in Vietnam gets good turnout

 

An eFeedLink Exclusive

 

 

The first ever International Livestock and Dairy Expo (ILDEX) in Vietnam drew a 4,000-strong crowd on its opening day on Mar 16. The three-day exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City is expected to draw a total of 10,000 visitors from all over the world.

 

With 90 companies fully taking up all 102 booths at the Ho Chi Minh International Exhibition and Convention Center (HIECC), Hall 2, ILDEX Vietnam 2006 is a definite success in terms of exhibitor take-up rates and visitor arrivals.   Its exhibitor profiles include pig farm equipment, cattle breeding, dairy processing equipment, feed, feed ingredients, egg production and processing, dairy products, aquaculture, animal health and pharmaceutical products. Visitors came from various industries such as the feed industry, animal husbandry, animal health, meat processing, poultry farming, and large-scale integrated multinationals.   The opening ceremony was a lively affair, featuring a 30-minute set of traditional Vietnamese song and dance. That was followed by a speech from Bui Ba  Bong, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) who warmly welcomed local and national representatives and all those who were present.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening

"With the development of the agricultural sector, Vietnam's livestock production has achieved great and encouraging results. Average annual growth in livestock production has ranged from 8 to 9 percent in the last ten years," the minister said.

 

Inside the exhibition, there was a visible mix of exhibitors from all over the world. Making a strong presence were the 16 Chinese companies taking over a section of the exhibition. Most of the Chinese representatives cited Vietnam as a new country that they wanted to explore opportunities in.

 

"We want to expand out business in the region and Vietnam is a new country for us, so we want to understand it better," said Mao Lijun, general manager of Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co.

 

British pigs and US animal protein

 

ILDEX Vietnam 2006's first seminar started with a presentation by Chris Jackson from the British Pig Association. The seminar "Improving profitability with British pig genetics" was a call to Vietnamese pig farmers to go British.

 

Britain's progress in pig genetics has been hailed a success. As a result, British pigs have beat competitors in international trials and competitions. Jackson pointed out that the British sow has a breeding advantage over the US sow.

 

He added that the British pig has a faster growth rate as revealed by several international trials. Besides, the British breeding industry has remained buoyant with continuous research investments by breeding companies.

 

For the opening day's second seminar, Dr Yu Yu from the US National Renderers Association urged Vietnamese livestock producers to buy US animal feed protein. In his seminar "Using quality and safe animal proteins made in USA", he explains that the challenge in Vietnam is to make meat, especially pork, affordable to everyone.

 

Yu said that some 80 percent of the protein needed in Vietnam for animal feed has to be imported. By 2010, Vietnam will need to import 2 tonnes of feed protein per year. As a cheaper alternative to fishmeal, US animal protein such as poultry by-product meal, feather meal, and meat-and-bone meal can save the Vietnamese livestock industry millions of dollars every year.

 

On Mar 17, the second day of the exhibition, the opening seminar "Livestock production towards stability development" was given by Vietnam's Department of Livestock Production at MARD. The speaker, Dr Do Kim Tuyen, gave a quick overview of livestock production in Vietnam.

 

The number of cattle in Vietnam rose from 3.64 million head in 1995 to 5.54 million head in 2005. However, the buffalo herd has stayed at around 2.9 million head since 1995. By 2005, pork production in Vietnam was the eighth-largest in the world.

 

In the next ten years, priority will be given to further developing the livestock sector. The Vietnamese government wants to invest more in industrialising livestock production. It also wants to improve and modernise slaughterhouses. The focus on livestock production will also mean that the feed industry will receive more attention from the government.

 

       

   Participants listening closely to speakers at seminars      The exhibition drew a huge crowd on the first day