September 22, 2003

Vietnam Dairy Lures New Zealand Investors

The New Zealand-based Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) plan to invest in three selected dairy projects up in north Vietnam, Hoang Kim Giao, deputy head of the Vietnamese Department of Agriculture and Forestry Extension said. 

The northern provinces of Son La and Lai Chau are provinces the LIC has chosen for establishing a breeding dairy farm, a joint venture to produce embryos and a 100,000-liter a day milk processing factory, added its international general director Mark O'Conner.

Dairy production in the north is expected to grow significantly as a result of this.  Moc Chau, the country's biggest dairy farm founded in Son La 40 years ago, imported 1,000 Holstein-Friesian thoroughbred dairy cows from the New Zealand in the middle of the year and has 4,000 dairy cows in total.

"We are investing in Vietnam's dairy cow raising not only to sell breeding dairy cows or sperm but also to help train local dairy cows raisers, providing them with raising techniques and then buying back what they produce," said Mr O'Conner.

To ensure that dairy cows imported meet international quality standards, the cows will bear a certificate from the New Zealand Government.