HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) has imported more than 2,000 Holstein Friesian cows from the US.

The cows, believed to be the world’s high-yield diary animals that can produce 14,000 litres of milk in 305 days, were carefully selected and underwent strict quarantine and health checks before arriving in Việt Nam.

They were sent to Vinamilk’s Tây Ninh cow farm, bringing the total number of cows at the farm to nearly 5,000. Following the import, Tây Ninh cow farm has become Vinamilk’s largest cow farm, covering 700ha and using high technology to raise cows.

Vinamilk plans to increase the herd of cows at the Tây Ninh farm to 8,000.

According to a Vinamilk representative, investing in cow farms is an important goal in the diary firm’s development strategy to ensure fresh milk and improve quality.

From 2012, Vinamilk imported a total of 80,000 cows from Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Currently, Vinamilk has more than 120,000 cows, which produce some 750 tonnes of fresh milk to produce three million glasses of milk per day.

The company plans to increase its herd of cows to 160,000 in 2017 and 200,000 in 2020. Its daily fresh milk output is targeted to reach 1,500-1,800 tonnes in the next three years.

Vinamilk is the largest dairy firm in Việt Nam, with a market share of more than 50 per cent, and is among the world’s top 50 milk producers by revenue.

It earned export revenue of US$258 million in 2016. Its products were exported to 43 countries and territories worldwide, including the United States, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.

At present, Vinamilk owns 13 plants in Việt Nam and 10 cow farms across the country, along with three plants in the United States, New Zealand and Cambodia. — VNS