Dairy industry development strategy discussed

A development strategy for the dairy industry was tabled at a two-day workshop that opened in Hanoi on Oct. 30, aiming to promote the role of both private and State-owned sectors and attract a greater level of investment in the country’s small-scale dairy farming industry...

A development strategy for the dairy industry was tabled at a two-day workshop that opened in Hanoi on Oct. 30, aiming to promote the role of both private and State-owned sectors and attract a greater level of investment in the country’s small-scale dairy farming industry.

The strategy was presented by Do Kim Tuyen, an expert in cattle breeding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Husbandry Department, who also suggested establishing a national committee for the dairy industry.

Tuyen said that dairymen need to be adequately trained in order to ensure the quality of milk and dairy products.

According to Tuyen, the dairy industry is currently able to meet only 22 percent of domestic demand, hopefully rising to 38-40 percent by 2020, with the remaining amount imported from overseas suppliers and producers.

He stressed the need to prioritise domestic dairy production, particularly following the melamine-contaminated milk scandal, which highlighted the danger of imported milk products of unclear origin.

Regarding the establishment of a national dairy industry committee, Tuyen said the committee will manage the implementation of the development strategy until 2020, and will be responsible for milk quality in the domestic market, formulating a range of policies to assist in the development of the animal farming industry.