American feed industry eyes Vietnam as key market for pet food

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) began assessing the pet food market in Vietnam in 2021. Since last year, it has been working with the Vietnamese Small Animal Veterinary Association (VSAVA).

“While Vietnamese veterinarians encourage feeding complete and balanced pet food, many pet owners still believe in feeding their pets table scraps or home-cooked meals,” AFIA’s Senior Director of International Policy and Trade Gina Tumbarello tells GlobalPETS.

For the first time, AFIA and the VSAVA organized Pet Health Month in Ho Chi Minh City, the most populous metropole in the South Asian country. The event received support from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Pet Health Month is meant to bring awareness and education to pet owners on proper care for their pets while providing veterinarians updated information on pet nutrition at different animal life stages and how complete food can keep dogs and cats healthier at all stages,” says Tumbarello.

Double-digit growth

The data shared by AFIA highlights significant growth in pet ownership in Vietnam, with 5.6 million households (20%) owning dogs and 4 million (14%) owning cats.

According to Euromonitor, Vietnam’s estimated pet market is worth $68.4 million (€62.8M). Despite economic difficulties, the Vietnamese pet industry is estimated to have grown at a rate of 35% in 2023, according to Dr. Le Quang Thong, Chairman of VSAVA. Local daily newspaper Tuổi Trẻ predicted the local pet economy would maintain double-digit growth over the next 5 years.

The local industry believes that improving knowledge, product and service quality to meet pet owners’ needs while ensuring sustainable development would be the key for service providers in the food, toys, and veterinary service sectors.

Vietnam’s pet food imports are estimated to have reached 27,620 metric tons, valued at $55 million (€50.5M) in 2023. AFIA estimates pet food exports stood at $3.6 million (€3.3M) last year.