Poultry focus on first US ag trade mission to Vietnam

Acting under secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services Michael Scuse will lead USDA’s first-ever agricultural trade Mission to Vietnam in the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from September 26-29.

Vietnam is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and an important market for US agricultural products. Two-way agricultural, fish and forestry trade with Vietnam reached nearly $3.4 billion in 2010.

Fifteen US companies representing a wide range of food and agricultural products will take part in the mission, which aims to promote US agricultural exports to Vietnam. Throughout the mission, these companies will meet with nearly 150 Vietnamese producers, importers, buyers, distributors, and investors to develop trade relationships.

Poultry imports
Poultry meat imports experienced spectacular growth in 2010. Vietnam favours dark-meat chicken (leg quarters, drumsticks and wings) and also provides a market for spent hens.

USDA said the current domestic Avian Influenza situation combined with strong growth in domestic demand, high inflation and high feed costs have led to high prices for domestic chicken meat, meaning even more opportunity for US broiler meat exports.

US poultry meat exports to Vietnam rose to $75 million in 2010 from $48 million in 2009.

Quick growth
“Since 2006, no other major US agricultural export market has grown as quickly as Vietnam,” said Scuse. “This is a significant and growing market for US producers and a driver for the American economy, helping to support more than 28,000 jobs here in the United States through exports of American products.”

While in Vietnam, Scuse will meet with Vietnamese government and agricultural officials, US agribusiness, and visit agricultural production and development sites.

The Vietnam trade mission supports the strategic priorities of President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI), which aims to double all US exports by the end of 2014 and create millions of new American jobs.

More information about this trade mission, can be found on the Foreign Agricultural Service’s website.