Vinamilk imports 6,000 cows to boost production

After careful consideration, the company-leases a Boeing 747 to make 28 flights, to deliver the dairy cows to Vietnam.

The transportation of live animals is actually quite complicated an airline representative tells Vinamilk, requiring strict environmental quality control.

Before the cattle are loaded the aircraft must be cooled to prevent thermal shock and during the flight veterinary experts continuously monitor the animals to keep the environment within acceptable limits.

A chip is implanted on each of the cows to keep accurate information and continuously monitor their vital statistics. The computer system will signal an alert if there are any abnormal parameters.

These controls help ensure the cows’ health and milk supply is the highest quality.

Calf rearing areas in Vietnam are specially designed and well-ventilated and include fans along with outside showers in the summer and infrared heating lamps when the weather is cold.

Also music is played to the herd daily, which helps to reduce stress and avoid the negative influence of oxytocin, a hormone of cattle that naturally plays an important role for the process of lactation.

The cattle being transported are of Holstein Friesian breed, having the ability to average 8,000-10,000 litres of milk annually.

For each flight it takes a long time to comply with all the transport regulations for live animals and insure the proper quarantine certificate.

The cattle are transported to seven Vinamilk farms and are quarantined until experts give the all clear to let them mix with the herd. This also gives them time to adapt to the climate change.

In recent years, cow imports from Australia, the US and New Zealand have increased the quality of Vinamilk’s production to be on par with the standards found in the US and Europe.