Dairy: Vietnam livestock association calls for urgent support to domestic milk production

Vietnam’s livestock industry has warned that heavy reliance on imported milk is threatening the sustainability of domestic dairy farming, urging the government to adopt new policies that prioritise local raw milk production and protect household farmers, according to a post on its website → view source.

Key details:

• Policy proposal: On 18 August 2025, the Vietnam Livestock Association urged the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Agriculture and Environment, and Health to adopt stronger measures to reduce dependence on imported milk and strengthen domestic raw milk output.
• Sector importance: The association stressed that livestock supports national nutrition security and provides livelihoods for tens of millions of farmers. Past programs (2000–2020) showed Vietnam can expand its dairy sector through both large-scale farms and professional household farming.
• Market imbalance: Rapid brand expansion and “massive” imports have overwhelmed domestic raw milk, causing household dairy herds in areas such as Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Vi, and Moc Chau to collapse—HCMC’s herd has fallen by more than 50 percent.
• Declining herd growth: Dairy cow herd growth slowed from 15.4 percent annually (2010–2015) to just 0.4 percent (2020–2024), leaving the current herd at ~330,000 heads, only 65 percent of the 2025 target. Fresh milk output growth fell from 17.7 percent per year (2010–2015) to 3.3 percent (2020–2024).
• Positive trend: Average productivity has risen sharply to over 7 tons/cow/cycle, the highest in the region.
• Proposals:
  
  • Promote school milk programmes using domestic fresh milk.
    
  • Enforce clearer standards distinguishing fresh vs liquid milk.
    
  • Require processors to source a minimum of 5–20 percent from domestic raw milk, following models in the Philippines and other countries.
    
  • Support both large corporate farms and professional household farming (20–100 cows/household) to balance scale and rural livelihoods.

See also: Vietnam’s Dairy Market 2025: Data, Scandals, Risks, and Key Players