Vietnam spends over $1bn on meat, dairy product imports in Q1
Vietnam spends over $1bn on meat, dairy product imports in Q1
Vietnam's imports of meat and milk continue to rise, with the country spending more than US$1 billion on these products during the first three months of 2025.
Imported meat is put on sale at a supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre |
According to the recent data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the nation's agricultural sector saw a notable surge in imports in the first quarter of the year, particularly in meat and dairy products.
Between January and March, the import of livestock products jumped 34.3 percent year on year.
The purchase of dairy products totaled $347 million, marking a nearly-42-percent year-on-year rise, while Vietnam imported meat and meat products worth approximately $437 million during this period, up 18 percent year on year.
Besides, the importation of other animal by-products saw significant growth.
These figures demonstrated that Vietnamese consumers were increasingly turning to imported meat, especially as domestic prices rose.
As observed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s reporter on Tuesday, imported meat was priced lower than locally produced one.
Vietnam's imported meat is mainly sourced from Europe, Brazil, Canada, and Australia.
Specifically, imported frozen pork was 35-40 percent cheaper than domestic pork.
Imported pork breast was even priced at VND150,000 ($5.8) per kilogram, significantly cheaper than the domestic variety, which sold for as much as VND300,000 ($11.8) per kilogram.
As domestic pork prices jump, many residents are selecting imported meat as a more affordable alternative.
The increased imports are seen as a challenge for the local livestock sector, especially for farmers, but they benefit local consumers.
The increase in competition is expected to drive improvements in the local livestock industry, ensuring better quality products for consumers.
To maintain a fair market climate, an economic expert emphasized the importance of strengthening controls and monitoring over the quality and variety of imported meat to safeguard consumers' interests.
In terms of exports, Vietnam shipped livestock products worth $131.3 million during the first quarter of 2025, marking an 18.5-percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Notably, exports of dairy products reached $28.5 million, a 16.4-percent year-on-year decline.
Meanwhile, meat, meat products, and animal by-products saw exports rise by 17.8 percent, totaling $43 million.
- 13:26 08/04/2025
