October 14, 2021 
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently purchased COVID-19 equipment to distribute to its livestock and fisheries partners in Vietnam.
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently purchased COVID-19 equipment to distribute to its livestock and fisheries partners in Vietnam. This gift comes after the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing in late September that aimed to build on the relationship between the United States and Vietnam, specifically in the areas of feed production, poultry, aquaculture and biofuels.
To help reduce COVID-19-related disruptions in Vietnam’s feed production supply chains, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has committed to support the country by sending protection equipment there. USGC recently purchased 3,500 rapid COVID-19 testing kits and 30,000 N95 face masks to distribute to Vietnamese livestock and fisheries industry partners.
“COVID-19 spread to Vietnam later than many other nations around the world,” Caleb Wurth, the USGC’s assistant director in Southeast Asia, said. “We are now seeing feed plants shutting down across the country to prevent the spread of the virus. It was imperative the Council help provide some defense for our livestock and fisheries partners so they can continue to utilize our products.”
Several industry representatives received the COVID-19 supplies, including Nguyen Do Anh Tuan of the Department of International Cooperation, Duong Tat Thang of the Department of Livestock Production and Nguyen Hoai Nam, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Tran Trong Nghia and Tran Trong Chien, USGC consultants in Vietnam, represented the Council at the meeting.
Additionally, Robert Hanson, agricultural counsellor at the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, attended, praising the Council for its continued support of the country. Hanson noted that the Council has been invested in Vietnam since 1994, a year before the U.S. officially opened diplomatic relations with the country. He also shared with the group that Vietnam will receive additional rounds of COVID-19 vaccines from the U.S. government in the near future.
Five of the 10 top purchasers of U.S. DDGS as of the 2019-2020 marketing year were from Southeast Asia – and Vietnam led the pack, checking in as the third-largest buyer with more than a million metric tons. Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and New Zealand were also in the top 10 in the same marketing year.
“Vietnam has already imported a record-breaking 1.4 million metric tons of DDGS in the 2021 marketing year in addition to importing its greatest amount of corn since 2018,” Wurth said.
The MOU signed in late September intended to strengthen the relationship between the two nations, especially in the areas of feed production, poultry, aquaculture and biofuels. The Council looks forward to continuing to build upon the work that has already taken place in Vietnam.