Khanh Hoa Province has approved a project to develop Halal-standard goat and sheep products through 2030, opening up opportunities to export the locality's specialized commodities.

Turning disadvantages into strengths

On May 29, the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee enacted a strategic project to develop goat and sheep products into Halal-certified goods through 2030. This calculated move opens up opportunities to bring the locality's specific livestock industry onto the international stage.

Khanh Hoa’s terrain consists primarily of mountains, low hills, and semi-mountainous regions widely distributed across mountainous areas. The local climate features a prolonged dry season, high temperature baselines, and unevenly distributed rainfall, posing significant challenges to cultivation activities. However, these arid conditions present a massive advantage for developing drought-tolerant livestock like goats and sheep, thanks to a natural vegetation cover rich in shrubs suitable for feed.

Regarding breeding sources, Phan Rang sheep and Bach Thao goats are the two flagship native breeds that adapt well to dry conditions, exhibit high disease resistance, and yield flavorful meat quality. Phan Rang mutton has been granted a Geographical Indication certificate, while "Ninh Thuan Goat" products were issued a certification mark by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam in 2017. Currently, Nhat Thanh Food Co., Ltd. is the unit authorized to utilize this trademark for diverse processed products—such as French-style goat racks, T-bone goat chops, and boneless goat legs—meeting safety standards and targeting exports.

Relying on these advantages, the goat and sheep livestock industry in Khanh Hoa has established a large scale. According to statistical data as of the end of 2023, the total sheep herd reached nearly 88,203 heads, accounting for over 86% of the country's total sheep flock. The province's goat herd reached 144,836 heads, accounting for 5.2% (ranking 6th nationwide).

By the end of 2024, the province maintained a combined goat and sheep herd of approximately 220,000 heads, yielding a meat output of around 4,000 tons, contributing significantly to the rural economy. This potential creates an edge for the locality to form concentrated raw material zones, serving large-scale commodity production geared toward export markets.

Despite these strengths, the local goat and sheep farming sector still faces multiple barriers. The primary farming method remains natural grazing at a household scale, which is fragmented and reliant on traditional experience. A lack of control over breeding stocks has led to inbreeding, reducing yields and meat quality.

Furthermore, the slaughtering and deep-processing infrastructure lacks synchronization, consisting mostly of small-scale facilities that fail to meet veterinary hygiene requirements. Therefore, shifting toward a professional farming model and applying biosecurity procedures aligned with international Halal criteria is an urgent requirement.

Orienting toward the global market

To realize the project, Khanh Hoa Province aims to transition farming methods toward centralization, strictly applying biosecurity, increasing the proportion of medium and large-scale farms, and reorganizing smallholder farming into controlled, eco-friendly, and professional models.

According to the roadmap, during the 2026–2027 phase, the province will develop at least 5 goat and sheep farming zones across Phuoc Ha, Phuoc Dinh, Bac Ai, Anh Dung, and Cam An communes. In the 2028–2030 phase, it will expand by at least 9 additional zones in Xuan Hai, Cong Hai, My Son, Ninh Hai, Thuan Nam, North Khanh Vinh, West Khanh Vinh, Vinh Hai, and Phuoc Huu communes.

The value-chain linkages here will apply advanced production processes under VietGAP and HACCP, introduce high-quality breeds into production, establish green feed zones, and apply science and technology for circular waste treatment, aiming for Halal certifications from reputable international organizations.

Parallel to expanding farming zones, the province is reviewing the zoning of centralized slaughterhouses and calling for investments to construct goat and sheep processing plants with a capacity of 200–300 heads/day. These facilities must ensure veterinary hygiene standards, strictly satisfying a mandatory minimum distance requirement of 500 meters from residential areas, schools, hospitals, national highways, and water sources, and at least 1 kilometer away from livestock farms or other pollution sources.

Operational processes will be placed under the supervision of authorized Halal certification bodies in Vietnam. Concurrently, the province will proactively research coordination mechanisms for mutual recognition with prestigious international organizations such as JAKIM (Malaysia) and MUIS (Singapore) to elevate export values.

Regarding value chain management, Khanh Hoa focuses on selecting capable enterprises—such as Nhan Thuan Phat Livestock Company, Quy Nhon Food Processing Production Co., Ltd., or Khatoco Animal Feed Joint Stock Company—to act as the core linking entities.

These enterprises will sign off-take contracts with cooperatives and farming households holding scales of 1,000–1,500 heads that meet VietGAP and HACCP standards. The management system will utilize digital technology, attaching QR codes to each shipment for transparent traceability, while developing a closed "four-party" linkage model to minimize market risks for farmers.

Brand development and international trade promotion are identified as the spearhead to penetrate deeply into the global market. The province will coordinate with diplomatic agencies and the network of Vietnam Trade Offices in Muslim-majority countries—such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and the UAE—to execute trade promotions, search for distribution partners, and negotiate market expansions. This will grant access to high-potential consumer markets holding massive import demands alongside stringent quality and certification requirements.

Along with direct trade promotion activities, Khanh Hoa will accelerate the application of digital transformation in promoting Halal products, participating in e-commerce platforms, and exploiting social media networks effectively. This will expand international customer reach, support traceability, publish Halal certifications, and build a professional, modern, and effective "Khanh Hoa Halal Goat - Sheep" brand.

Source: Bao Nong nghiep va Moi truong