Vietnamese people prefer free-range chicken. "I like free-range chicken. I only eat other types of chicken if I go out", said a resident.
Taking into account consumer taste, Ten has shifted to raising free-range chicken after many years of raising battery chickens. Her chickens are Luong Phuong and Mia hybrids. They eat only eat herbs and are popular with shoppers in Ho Chi Minh City.
"I sell 300 chickens per day. Due to higher demand, I’m looking at selling 500 chickens a day", said Cao Thi Ten, Dinh Quan District, Dong Nai Province.
This slaughtering and processing business is one among a few enterprises providing free-range chicken to supermarkets in Vietnam. The company has worked with free-range chicken co-operative in provinces of Dong Nai and Tien Giang to prepare over 100 thousand chickens.
"There is ample potential for free-range chicken in Vietnam. We’re now improving the quality of our chicken so that Vietnamese consumers will see its value and buy more", said Pham Ngoc Ha, Director, San Ha Co. Ltd.
According to Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam, 620,000 tonnes of free-range chicken was consumed domestically last year. In contrast battery chickens accounted for only two thirds of that total.
"Vietnam has the population of about 90 million people. The country has a competitive advantage in expanding production of free-range chickens given the size of the domestic market", said Assoc. Prof. Le Thanh Hai, Vice Chairman, Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam.
It is forecasted that Vietnam’s poultry and livestock industry will face massive competition once the TPP is ratified. Therefore, appealing to the tastes of Vietnamese consumers will help Vietnamese poultry producers be more competitive.
