Monthly report of vietnam's beef and cattle market (December 2023)

Vietnamese version

Vietnam's total export value of livestock products in November 2023 reached 18.7 million USD, a decrease of 49% over the previous month and an increase of 56% over the same period in 2022.

In November 2023, the meat of swine, fresh, chilled, or frozen (HS 0203); other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood (HS 1602); other meat and edible meat offal, fresh, chilled, or frozen (HS 0208) were Vietnam's main export livestock products with a value of 6.56 million USD, 5.78 million USD, and 1.88 million USD, respectively. In November, there was no recorded export of live bovine animals (HS 0102). The export value of most livestock products declined compared to the previous month.

Hong Kong and ASEAN are Vietnam's largest export markets, with export values of 65.3 million USD and 42.2 million USD respectively in the first 11 months of 2023. Exports to Australia increased by 41% compared to the same period of 2022, but accounting for only 0.07% of Vietnam's total livestock exports

Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen (HS 0203) and other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood (HS 1602) are the main export products in November 2023. Of which, Hong Kong is the main export market for meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen, accounting for 89.4% of total export value. Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal or blood are mainly exported to Japan and Hong Kong, accounting for 47.4% and 23%, respectively.

Vietnam imported livestock products worth 181 million USD in November 2023, an 8.7% decrease from the previous month but a 2.5% increase from the same period in 2022.

In November 2023, the meat of bovine animals, frozen (HS 0202) and meat and edible offal, of the poultry of heading 01.05, fresh, chilled or frozen (HS 0207) are the two most imported livestock products with values of 67.5 million USD (a 18% increase compared to the previous month) and 34.2 million USD (a 12% month-on-month increase), respectively. Import of live bovine animals reached 22.6 million USD, a 2% decrease compared to October 2023. Import of live swine decreased sharply by 54% compared to the previous month, reaching 0.61 million USD.

In the first 11 months of 2023, India and Australia were the two largest livestock products suppliers for Vietnam, with import values of 469 million USD and 281 million USD, respectively. Compared to the same period of 2022, imports from India decreased by 7% and imports from Australia increased markedly by 20%.

Meat of bovine animals, frozen; and meat and edible offal, of the poultry, fresh, chilled or frozen were the main imported items in November 2023. For the month, 95.1% of live bovine animals were sourced from Australia. For meat and edible offal, of the poultry, fresh, chilled or frozen, 45.2% originated from the US. Besides, 74.6% of meat of bovine animals, frozen were sourced from India. Australia was the main source of meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled supplying 81.52% of the Vietnamese demand. 

In November 2023, Vietnam's imports of livestock products from Australia reached 33 million USD, a decrease of 3.2% compared to the previous month and an increase of 130% compared to the same period in 2022. Of which, live bovine animals; and meat of bovine animals, frozen were the most imported products, with import values of 21.5 million USD and 7.6 million USD, respectively.

​Vietnam's import value of beef and cattle from Australia in November 2023 was 32.2 million USD, an increase of 41.3% compared to the previous month, and an increase of 103% compared to the same period in 2022.
In the first 11 months of 2023, the most imported products was live bovine animals (not for breeding), with an import value of 173.9 million USD, a 65% increase over the same period last year. However, the import value of other products such as meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled; and edible offal of bovine animals, fresh or chilled, decreased.

• In November 2023, imports of fresh/chilled/frozen boneless meat of bovine animals from Australia increased compared to October 2023. Of which, imports of frozen boneless meat increased by 28%, imports of fresh or chilled meat increased by 13%. However, imports of live cattle decreased by 7% compared to the previous month.
• The price of live cattle as well as beef products imported from Australia in November 2023 decreased compared to the previous month.
• The top 5 enterprises that imported beef and cattle products from Australia, by value, accounted for 24.2% of the total cattle and beef products imported from Australia in November 2023.

During week 51, the prices of beef fillet and beef thigh increased over the previous week. Of which, the price of beef thigh was 202,778 VND/kg (the highest price since week 43), an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous week; and the price of beef fillet was 229,000 VND/kg, an increase of 2% compared to week 50.

In week 51, the average price of live-weight cattle was 82,500 VND/kg, which decreased slightly by 0.1% over week 50. Regionally, the prices were comparatively higher in the north than the south. 

In weeks 49 and 52, in terms of the current number of cattle handled in the facilities (feedlot or abattoir), the smallest feedlot had 100 heads of cattle whereas the biggest had 8000 animals in their feedlot. Similarly, the smallest abattoir slaughtered 5 animals in a day while the biggest slaughtered 30 animals in a day.

​•Prices of all cattle breeds at abattoir in weeks 49 and 52 remained stable. For Australia cattle, the prices ranged from 70,000 - 77,000 VND/kg. For BBB cattle, the prices ranged from 76,000 - 88,000 VND/kg.
•For traders, the prices of Australian cattle and Thai Brahman ranged from 70,000 - 72,000 VND/kg, while the prices of BBB cattle ranged from 75,000 - 86,000 VND/kg.
•Prices of all cattle breeds at feedlots in weeks 49 and 52 remained relatively stable. Of which, the prices of Australian cattle ranged from 74,000 - 75,000 VND/kg, Thai Brahman ranging from 68,000 - 71,000 VND/kg, and BBB cattle ranging from 77,000 - 86,000 VND/kg.

The prices of hot beef at abattoirs remained stable between weeks 49 and 52. Of which, the lowest price of BBB cattle was 175,000 VND/kg. The prices of all cattle breeds in the North were lower than in the South by around 10,000 - 13,000 VND/kg.
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• In weeks 49 and 52, the prices of Cambodian cattle in the border area for animals weighing about 230 kg ranged from 45,000 - 50,000 VND/kg and cattle weighing about 350 kg ranged from 55,000 - 56,000 VND/kg
• For slaughter cattle, in weeks 49 and 52, the prices for animals weighing about 450-500 kg ranged from 58,000 - 60,000 VND/kg and cattle weighing about 600-700 kg ranged from 60,000 - 62,000 VND/kg.

In week 52, prices of Vietnamese beef at supermarkets remained unchanged compared to the previous week. For beef fillet, the lowest prices recorded at Winmart with 358,000 VND/kg. For beef shank, the lowest price was at Co.op mart (remained stable since September 2023). The prices of Australian beef also remained unchanged compared to the previous week. Beef sirloin Hokubee had the highest price of 859,000 VND/kg sold exclusively at Homefarm.