Brazil to deliver another batch of livestock to Vietnam

Last month, a shipment of 14,000 cattle was sent to the southeast Asian country for slaughter.

Despite the long distance between Brazil and Vietnam, the first shipment of livestock from the South American country arrived last month at the port of Thi Vai. Another shipment is expected in December, which is causing concern for Australian cattle exporters. Australia was the only supplier of live cattle to the Vietnamese market, but Brazil looks like a strong competitor because its cows are cheaper. This will undoubtedly reduce the level of livestock exports in the South East Asia region for Australian livestock farmers, although there is no reason to believe that Brazil will soon surpass Australia's market share in Vietnam.

On the one hand, Australian cattle have the highest animal health standards in the world, as well as being geographically close to Vietnam. On the other hand, Vietnamese cattle importers may be looking for alternatives in livestock supply rather than relying solely on Australia. According to the owner of the ship that delivered the first batch of Brazilian cattle to Vietnam, the mortality of animals was 30 heads, or 0.25% of the cargo. He also noted that the contract between the parties provides for the supply of 60,000 heads of cattle until 2022.