On Friday afternoon (June 12, 2026), at the meeting room of the Faculty of Animal Science (FAS) – Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), the FAS, in coordination with the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine and the Ba Vi Cattle and Forage Research Center (BCFRC), organized a reception and working session with a high-level delegation from Kamichiku Group (Japan), led by Mr. Kamimura Masashi – Chairman of the Group.
Attending the working session, on the side of the state management agency were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Kim Dang – Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Medicine; on the side of the partner units were representatives of the Board of Directors of the Ba Vi Cattle and Forage Research Center ; and the Head of the Faculty of Animal Science.
Strategic orientation for the development of the livestock industry and potential for cooperation.
In his opening remarks, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Kim Dang – Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine – affirmed that the livestock breeding industry project is currently a top priority in Vietnam's livestock development strategy. Reviewing the overall picture, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Kim Dang stated that Vietnam's pig farming currently ranks 5th in the world in terms of total herd size, and poultry farming has reached over 600 million birds (among the countries with the largest livestock populations). Regarding the cattle industry, while dairy farming is entirely controlled by Vietnamese enterprises, the total beef cattle herd currently stands at approximately 6 million head, but is still primarily raised by small-scale farmers. Currently, the domestic beef cattle herd is trending downwards, leading to Vietnam's continued need to import beef to meet the growing consumer demand.
In particular, the Deputy Director emphasized that Vietnam possesses the indigenous H'Mong cattle breed (concentrated mainly in Tuyen Quang) with good meat quality, and is currently being supported by the KOICA-VNUA project* in surveying and evaluating its genetic potential for conservation and development. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Kim Dang highly appreciated Kamichiku's model, noting that the corporation is following Vietnam's direction: focusing on sustainable development, closely linking all links in the value chain to benefit, especially increasing income for livestock farmers.
Kamichiku's 10-year journey in Vietnam and the impressive results from the pilot project
During the meeting, Chairman Kamimura Masashi expressed his delight that 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of Kamichiku Group's entry into the Vietnamese market. To date, the group has achieved remarkable results in a comprehensive manner: from recruiting Vietnamese students for internships and exporting Wagyu beef officially to Vietnam, to operating a chain of high-end beef restaurants in Hanoi.
Representatives from Kamichiku Group shared a detailed report on the "Beef Cattle Farming Project in Vietnam" a collaborative project being implemented in Vietnam, highlighting impressive timelines and technical data:
• 2020: Trial cattle farming began at the Ba Vi Cattle and Forage Research Center.
• November 2023: A formal cooperation agreement was signed with the Ba Vi Cattle and Forage Research Center to accelerate the trial program.
• December 2024: Phase I pilot farming commenced with 50 F1 cattle (bred from Australian/American Wagyu bull semen crossed with dairy herds of farmers in the Ba Vi area). Calves weighing approximately 120-150 kg (at 5 months old) will be raised and fattened intensively.
• Market Results: With an average daily weight gain (DG) of approximately 1 kg/day, after 28 months of rearing, the beef cattle reached an impressive market weight, averaging around 890 kg/head.
• Pilot Slaughter Phase (January - March 2026): The Group conducted a pilot slaughter of two cattle at the Vinabeef Tam Dao slaughterhouse. The results showed a very high carcass yield, with carcass weight exceeding 500 kg/head.
Looking ahead, Kamichiku will continue to promote its fattening model in Ba Vi and conduct slaughtering at the Vinabeef Tam Dao factory, aiming to export high-quality beef from Vietnam to countries throughout Southeast Asia.
Also during the meeting, experts from the group shared information about Japan's strict beef classification system based on two criteria: The letter section (A, B, C) - Yield rating (carcass yield): Where A is the best yield level (high usable meat yield). The number section (1 to 5) - Meat quality rating: Based on fat cohesion (marbling), color, tenderness, and brightness of the fat. Grade 1 has the least marbling and the lowest tenderness; Wagyu beef typically achieves A3 or higher.
In-depth discussion and overall research direction
Following Kamichiku's presentation, the parties engaged in open discussions and exchanges on practical experiences in beef cattle farming management. Scientists from the Faculty of Animal Science were particularly interested and asked many in-depth questions regarding pedigree management, breeding sources, and especially nutritional technology – a core element in creating optimal marbling for hybrid beef produced in Vietnam.
In his concluding remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Kim Dang highly appreciated the valuable insights and advanced technology shared by Japan. He proposed that, in the future, when the Faculty of Animal Science collaborates with other units to implement research projects on improving and enhancing the quality of the indigenous H'Mong cattle breed, it hopes to receive support and cooperation from Kamichiku Group, particularly the collaboration and advice from the group's leading experts in animal nutrition.
The meeting opened up many new prospects for cooperation between management agencies, research institutions, and international businesses, contributing to promoting sustainable development and modernization of the beef cattle industry in Vietnam.
*The project “The Higher Education Program for Vietnam National University of Agriculture to Enhance Human Resources Specialized in Animal Husbandry of Vietnam” (KOICA-VNUA Project), a collaboration between Konkuk University, South Korea, and the Vietnam National University of Agriculture, is funded by the Korean Government with non-refundable ODA capital, totaling over US$13 million and extending until 2030. The overall objective of the project is to enhance higher education capacity and train high-quality human resources in the livestock sector in Vietnam.