Vinamilk made headline in March 2017 with the official opening of its EU-certified organic dairy farm in Da Lat in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The Da Lat organic farm in Lam Dong is certified by Netherlands-based Control Union in 2016 under the European standards (according to the EU organic EC 834/2007 and 889/2008). This makes the farm in Da Lat the first organic dairy farm with European organic standards in Vietnam.
Da Lat is a key supplier of temperate agriculture products for all over the country. A number of organic farms have emerged in Da Lat including Organik Farm. It is therefore natural that Da Lai was picked as the site for the organic farm thanks in part to the temperate climate where the average temperature is around 14°C.
Image above from Vinamilk
Phase one started in 2014 with an initial 500 herds. Phase two expansion will start soon.
Image above from Google Map. The accuracy of this image has not been verified.
Three years ago in 2014, the same company certified Vinamilk’s farm in Nghe An as a GLOBAL G.A.P. (Good Agricultural Practice) site.
Vinamilk debuts USDA-certified organic milk in June 2016
In June 2016, Vinamilk launched its USDA-certified organic UHT milk, making it the first local dairy company to launch an organic line in the country. The company has full ownership of the US-based dairy company Driftwood, which is the biggest supplier of milk and juice to K-12 school districts in Southern California. It is not known if this USDA-certified milk was sourced from the US or from the local farm in Vietnam.
New EU organic UHT milk
Image above was captured by the author
Now, Vinamilk has a new UHT milk certified organic by a EU organic certifying body. The milk comes from the company’s own farm in Da Lat.
The new Vinamilk 100% Organic Milk is the priciest among domestic and imported UHT milk but it is also comes at a fraction of the cost of an imported organic UHT milk.
Farm tour to build trust
With the opening of the organic dairy farm, Vinamilk has also started the dairy farm tour, which helps to improve transparency and build trust. The scenic farm does make a good holiday spot for the entire family.
What Mini Me thinks
What is significant about the Da Lat organic farm is that it elevates Vietnam’s dairy industry to the next level. It also opens premiumisation opportunity and making organic milk more accessible to consumers. There is also the export potential for Vinamilk organic milk in the region due to the attractive price and strong EU certification.
