April 23, 2014

The family-run business Trung Dong Company was one of the first in Vietnam to take on more Australian cattle under the new Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) system.

The company's assistant director, Chi, says demand for beef in Vietnam is growing rapidly and she hopes Australia can maintain a strong and constant supply.

Chi says the business has already had a lot of support from the Northern Territory (NT) Government, ESCAS auditors and the exporter South East Asian Livestock Services (SEALS).

Overall, Vietnam is on track to import a record amount of cattle from Australia this year, with some in the industry tipping the market will take over 150,000 head.

Since 2011, Barry Lemcke from the NT Department of Primary Industry has been making regular visits to Vietnam to help cattle importers such as the Trung Dong Company. He says the level of investment in Vietnam to improve feedlots and abattoirs has been impressive.

Lemcke has spent a lot of time in Vietnam running 'low-stress stock handling courses' to help locals work with the larger Australian animals.