Vietnam aims to turn H’Mong cattle, deer antlers into premium products like Kobe beef: official

Associate Professor Pham Kim Dang, deputy director of Vietnam's Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health, made the remarks at a briefing on Monday afternoon at the 21st Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies Animal Science Congress (AAAP 2026), organized by the Vietnam Animal Husbandry Association (AHAV) and other agencies.

H'Mong beef sells for $46 per kg, Hanoi store chain launches

Speaking about plans to develop Vietnam's specialty and high-quality livestock products, Dang said the department had invited international experts to Vietnam in recent years to assess native breeds.

H'Mong cattle are a native breed raised mainly by the H'Mong ethnic community in Vietnam's northern mountainous areas. 

They are well adapted to the region's harsh terrain and climate, and are valued for their hardiness, ability to forage, and resistance to disease.

The experts found that H’Mong cattle have a stronger starting point than South Korea's Hanwoo cattle in terms of genetics, size, and physical condition, putting them on a par with Japan's Kobe beef.

As part of scientific research projects under Resolution 57 of the Politburo, the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health has included plans to commission research institutions to breed higher-quality H’Mong cattle modeled on South Korea's Hanwoo or Japan's Kobe cattle.

Dang said the department had recently tasked the Vietnam National University of Agriculture with working with businesses to develop high-quality cattle breeds.

It will also introduce a beef quality grading system modeled on those used in South Korea and Japan, giving researchers and producers clear standards to work toward.

"H’Mong beef is now taking shape, selling for VND1.2 million [$46.17] per kg, and a chain of stores is beginning to open in Hanoi," Dang said.

He added that deer antler velvet also has strong potential. 

A review by the department found that Vietnam imports large quantities of deer antler velvet for use in health products, even though the country has the well-known Huong Son deer antler velvet. "Why don't we develop it into a brand?" he said.

For other products, the department also hopes agencies and businesses will work together to develop high-quality products. 

Bird's nest, for example, is still mainly exported as a raw product to China, limiting its value, so businesses need to work together to develop the sector.

Vietnam's livestock sector gains ground but faces pressure

Nguyen Xuan Duong, chairman of the AHAV, said AAAP 2026 comes as Vietnam enters a new era of development, while the livestock sector faces growing pressure to undergo major transformation.

Compared with when Vietnam hosted AAAP in 2008, Duong said the country's livestock sector now has a much stronger position in the region and globally. 

Its technical expertise, production scale and capacity have improved, while international integration has deepened.

Some areas have achieved high rankings globally. Vietnam has the world's sixth- or seventh-largest pig herd, the second-largest waterfowl population, while its animal feed processing industry ranks first in ASEAN. 

Its dairy cattle productivity and dairy processing industry are also among the region's leaders.

However, after years of rapid growth, the domestic livestock sector has also exposed shortcomings and bottlenecks that affect its sustainability, including shrinking space for livestock production. 

The sector is also facing growing pressure from dangerous animal diseases, environmental concerns, and imported livestock products.

AAAP 2026 will therefore not only give Vietnamese scientists, businesses, and organizations access to international knowledge, technology and experience, but also provide an opportunity to showcase Vietnam's research achievements, training capacity, technologies, products and development potential to the international community.

The conference is expected to raise the profile of Vietnam's livestock sector on the international scientific map and open up opportunities for cooperation in scientific research and investment.