MOnthly Report of Vietnam's beef and cattle market (November 2023)

Vietnamese version

Vietnam’s total export value of livestock products in October 2023 reached 36.4 million USD, an increase of 145% over the previous month and an increase of 134% over the same period of 2022.

In October 2023, other live animals, live bovine animals, meat of swine, fresh, chilled, or frozen were Vietnam’s main export livestock products with values of 10.99 million USD, 9.8 million USD, and 6 million USD. Notably, in the month, other live animal exports (HS 0106) increased sharply by 1,600% compared to the previous month, and live cattle and buffaloes (HS 0102) were also exported again.

Hong Kong and ASEAN are Vietnam’s largest export markets, with export values of 58 million USD and 40.3 million USD respectively in the first 10 months of 2023. Exports to Australia accounted for only 0.05% of Vietnam's total livestock exports although there is 10% increase in exports compared to the same period in 2022. 

In October 2023, other live animals (HS 0106) and live cattle (HS 0102) are the main export products. In particular, the US is the main export market for other live animals, accounting for 99.7% of the total export value. Live cattle are exported mainly to Cambodia, accounting for 78% of total export value and rest (22%) to Lao PDR.

Vietnam imported livestock products worth $198.3 million in October 2023, a 17.7% increase from the previous month but a 9.7% decrease from the same period in 2022.

In October 2023, meat of bovine animals, frozen and meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen were the two most imported livestock products with values of 73.8 million USD and 35.4 million USD, respectively. Imports of meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled increased by 58% over the previous month. Imports of live bovine animals reached 23 million USD, an increase of 78% compared to the previous month. Imports of live swine increased sharply, reaching 1.3 million USD, a 158% increase from the previous month.

In the first 10 months of 2023, India and Australia are the two largest livestock product suppliers for Vietnam, with import values of 415 million USD and 248 million USD, respectively. Compared to the same period of 2022, imports from India decreased by 3% and imports from Australia increased by 30%.

Frozen meat of bovine animals, and meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen were the main imported products in October. Almost 100% of the live cattle were sourced from Australia. As for meat, 88.4% of fresh or chilled meat of bovine animals originated from Australia. India was the main import source for frozen meat of bovine animals, accounting for 81%.

​In October 2023, Vietnam's imports of livestock products from Australia reached 34 million USD, an increase of 37.6% over the previous month and an increase of 97.8% over the same period in 2022. Live bovine animals and meat of bovine animals, frozen were the most imported products, with import values of 23.1 million USD and 6.2 million USD, respectively.

​Vietnam's import value of beef and cattle from Australia reached 32.8 million USD in October 2023, an increase of 41.3% over the previous month and an increase of 103% over the same period in 2022.
From January to October 2023, the most imported product was live bovine animals (not for breeding), with an import value of 152 million USD, an increase of 82% over the same period of 2022. 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 October 2023, the import value of beef and cattle products from Australia increased compared to September. Among the products that saw a strong increase were meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled with bone in (up 94%) and boneless (up 82%), edible offal of bovine animals fresh, chilled or frozen (up 79%), and live bovine animals (up 78%).
• Prices of live bovine animals as well as all bovine meat products imported from Australia to Vietnam increased in October 2023 compared to the previous month.
• The top 5 enterprises that imported beef and cattle products from Australia, by value, accounted for 26.7% of the total cattle and beef products imported from Australia in October 2023.

During week 47, the prices of beef thigh and beef fillet increased compared to the previous week. The average price of beef thigh was 189.000 VND/kg, an increase of 1.2%; the price of beef fillet was 225,000 VND/kg, an increase of 1.8% compared to week 46.

In week 47, the average price of live weight cattle remained the same as previous month at 86,000 VND/kg.

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 7 animals (week 44) and 5 animals in a day (week 47) whereas the biggest slaughtered 30 animals in a day.

• Prices of all cattle breeds at abattoirs in weeks 44 and 47 fluctuated slightly, ranging from 1,000 - 4,000 VND/kg. For Australian cattle at abattoirs, the lowest price in week 47 was 70,000 VND/kg, a decrease of 3,000 VND/kg compared to week 44.
• For traders, the lowest price of Australian cattle in week 47 was 70,000 VND/kg, a decrease of 2,000 VND/kg compared to week 44. For BBB cattle, the highest price in week 47 was 84,000 VND/kg, a decrease of 5,000 VND/kg compared to week 44.
• Prices of all cattle breeds at feedlots in weeks 44 and 47 remained relatively stable except for BBB cattle, which recorded its highest price in week 47 at 84,000 VND/kg, a decrease of 4,000 VND/kg compared to week 44.

Live cattle selling prices were stable, when comparing weeks 44 and 47 except for BBB cattle breeds in North and Central Highlands. In the North, the highest price of BBB cattle breed went down 3,000 VND/kg, and in the Central Highlands, the lowest price of BBB cattle breed went down 5,000 VND/kg.

• In week 44, the prices of Cambodian cattle in the border area for animals weighing approximately 230 kg ranged from 42,000 to 45,000 VND/kg. Cattle weighing around 350 kg had a price range of 53,000 to 55,000 VND/kg. In week 47, the price of Cambodian cattle weighing about 230 kg were higher than week 44, ranging from 45,000 VND/kg to 50,000 VND/kg; for cattle weighing about 350 kg, the prices have not changed much compared to week 44.
• For slaughter cattle, the prices remained almost the same in weeks 44 and 47. For animals weighing about 450-500 kg, the prices ranged from 56,000 to 58,000 VND/kg. For animals weighing about 600-700 kg, the prices ranged from 64,000 to 66,000 VND/kg.

​In week 48, prices of Vietnamese beef at supermarkets remained unchanged compared to the previous week, except beef fillet at Winmart which decreased to 358,000 VND/kg. Similarly, prices of Australian beef also remained unchanged compared to week 47.