A ceremony was held in Hanoi on October 22 to announce the export of Vietnam’s first batch of dairy products to China under a protocol signed between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China on April 26, 2019.

This was a specially important event for the agricultural sector in general and the dairy industry in particular in efforts to boost high-quality farm produce exports to potential markets, especially China.

TH Milk Joint Stock Company became the first Vietnamese firm to receive approval from the General Administration of Customs of China to export dairy products to China. Its sterilised and modified milk products have been granted transaction codes.

At the ceremony, TH Milk signed a contract to ship the first batch of dairy products to China with its Chinese partner, Wuxi Jinqiao International Food City. Under the contract, the two sides will cooperate in distributing milk products in all provinces and cities across China via wholesale, retail and supermarket channels.

Addressing the function, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Devleopment Nguyen Xuan Cuong said the event opens up a big opportunity for Vietnam’s dairy cow breeding and milk processing sectors to boost exports to not only China but also many other potential markets such as Japan, Canada, Australia, the US and Thailand.

China’s imports of Vietnamese dairy products will help raise Vietnam’s farm produce export turnover and locals’ incomes as China is one of the largest milk importers in the world, he said.

He said he wishes Vietnamese businesses and dairy cow breeders will increase investment in developing cow herbs to ensure material milk supplies.

In the coming time, the ministry will continue proposing the General Administration of Customs of China consider milk export applications from four other Vietnamese enterprises.

Earlier last week, the Chinese customs agency announced granting official permission to the import of Vietnamese dairy products and detailing requirements for quarantine and quality checks of those products.

Nguyen Van Long, deputy director of the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that five Vietnamese firms have submitted dossiers to get permission to export milk to China. Currently, Vietnam has 18 companies registered to sell dairy products to 17 foreign markets.

Vietnam aims to increase dairy export revenue to the neighbour from 120 million USD to 300 million USD in 2020.