ON FARM NORTHERN CATTLE MARKET INFORMATION Inside Vietnam’s supply chain l According to northern encourage the Vietnamese SNAPSHOT:Dan Lynch beef producer Dan supply chain to ‘mature’ and Lynch, Vietnam – benefit Australian producers. ‘Tara’, Cloncurry, ‘Stapleton’, Australia’s second largest “Vietnam has a fast‑growing Queensland Katherine, NT live cattle export market – economy, an expanding has huge potential for appetite for consistent, producers if key supply quality product and a protein chain challenges can vacuum caused by African be overcome. swine fever,” Michael said. Dan (pictured), who recently He explained that, to take visited Vietnamese feedlots advantage of this, his team and processing plants is working on identifying Area: Area: to provide a producer’s the barriers to change and 20,000ha 160,000ha perspective of the market, creating a point of difference said Australia is in the box for Australian cattle. Enterprise: Enterprise: seat to capitalise on the Brahman and Brangus Brahman breeding operation, developing nation’s growing Michael and Dan agreed that, breeding operation, steers steers grown out to live export protein demand. while the challenges posed grown out to feeder weights feeder weights by Vietnam’s small farming However, unless significant and trading systems are Livestock: Livestock: supply chain challenges significant, they do present 1,400 breeders 3,000 breeders are met (particularly in some opportunities. (normally 2,000) Vietnamese feedlots), he’s concerned Australian beef “Locally produced animals are Pasture: Pasture: could “miss the boat”. different shapes and sizes Mitchell, Flinders, blue, Mitchell, plume sorghum, – there’s no commercial button, feathertop grasses ribbon, kangaroo, silky One such challenge is production or consistency browntop, cockatoo, desert optimising carcase value to of supply, compared bluegrass, soft spinifex, nativeincrease profits, rather than to Australian cattle at a couch, pigeon, purple spike, just cutting production costs.consistent quality and price,” annual sorghum and wanderrie Michael said. “Labour and feed are cheap; it Soil: Soil: costs about one‑third of what Other key threats are animal Black, red, self‑mulching clay,Deep red clay loams, red it costs in Australia to lot‑feedwelfare, keeping animals pulled gidgee country sandy and gravelly desert soils,cattle for 90 to 100 days, and inside the supply chain, and ironstone ridges and hills they have processors capable competition from Brazil, of producing high‑quality which looks likely to enter Rainfall: Rainfall: product. However, locally, the live export market. 400mm 860mm there’s resistance to change,” Dan said. Dan is an advocate of the adage, ‘you can’t manage Dr Michael Patching, MLA’s what you can’t measure’. He Livestock Services Manager believes guiding the use of Asia Pacific, said his team scales and measuring live is working with local weight gain in feedlots may representatives in Hanoi be the key to unlocking and Ho Chi Minh City to more opportunity. 32