Vietnam has become the second largest importer of Australian cattle,
behind Indonesia, according to BeefCentral.com, a free news website and
market intelligence service dedicated to the Australian beef industry.
The
website said that from June 2013 to April 2014, Vietnam imported
112,982 heads of cattle. Last year, the country ranked 11th, importing
8,900 heads of cattle.
Meanwhile, Research Assistant Tess
Marslen revealed in futuredirections.org.au, that demand for imported
beef has increased exponentially in Vietnam due to the expansion of the
Vietnamese middle class.
Marslen also said that the growing
number of supermarkets and the development of meat-oriented chain
restaurants have created a huge opportunity for Australia in the
live-beef export market. Live buffalo exports to Vietnam are also
flourishing.
The research assistant also said Vietnamese
importers are currently investing in infrastructure to support the
influx of Australian cattle, which are considered to be superior in
quality.
Nguyen Dang Vang, president of the Vietnam Husbandry
Association told local media that the increasing import of Australian
beef was because beef providers in Laos and Cambodia did not have enough
for exports.
In addition, Australian beef has also received better and more convenient procedures when exporting to Vietnam.
Vang
said there were 72,000 Australian heads of cattle imported since the
beginning of this year, predicting it would reach 150,000 by the
year-end.
Australian beef is sold in the supermarkets of big cities in Vietnam.-VNA