Vietnam spent $3.7 billion in 2011 to import 8.9 million tons of materials used in animal feed production, accounting for 62 percent of the total materials used in the country’s animal feed production center, according to Le Ba Lich, chairman of the Vietnam Animal Feeds Association.
The imports included 4.8 million tons of protein-rich materials like soy-beans and processed animal bone powder; and 3.8 million tons of materials that Le Ba Lich said can be produced or replaced by domestic products, including 870,000 tons of corn, 570,000 tons of rice ban and 2.3 million tons of wheat. Lack of planting land for animal feed farming, such as land for grass planting, land for breeding facilities or land for animal food processing plants, is considered to be the main reason for the high import value and volume of material for feed production.