Viet Nam boosts poultry meat exports to ease domestic oversupply

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son, Chairman of the Viet Nam Poultry Association, said Viet Nam's exports of poultry meat and eggs in the first six months of 2026 recorded historic breakthroughs in both export markets and volumes.

Specifically, in the first half of 2026, exports of various types of poultry meat were estimated at 4,800-5,200 tons, a sharp increase from the same period in 2025. Chicken meat export turnover in the first six months was estimated at USD 45-48 million. Processed cooked chicken products, such as stewed chicken, fried chicken, and frozen pan-seared chicken breast, accounted for more than 85% of total export value.

Japan remains the largest market for Viet Nam's poultry meat exports, accounting for more than 50% of market share. Other key markets include Hong Kong, Cambodia, and the Middle East.

New opportunities continue to emerge for Viet Nam's poultry meat exports as additional markets become accessible. In April 2026, Viet Nam officially completed negotiations and began exporting processed chicken meat to South Korea. Chairman of the Viet Nam Poultry Association Nguyen Thanh Son assessed this as a "passport" to enhancing the international standing of leading chicken production, processing, and export complexes, notably CPV Food Binh Phuoc of C.P. Viet Nam.

According to the Agency for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam has stepped up trade promotion and expanded export markets for meat products in recent times. A range of processed cooked poultry products has been exported to demanding markets such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong (China), and several EU markets. Most recently, Viet Nam and South Korea officially opened their markets to processed chicken meat, creating additional opportunities for businesses in both countries to expand cooperation and boost exports.

Boosting poultry meat exports in the first half of this year has not only increased the export turnover of Viet Nam's livestock industry but also helped ease oversupply pressure in the domestic livestock market.

From late 2025 to early 2026, Viet Nam's total poultry flock grew relatively rapidly. As of June 30, 2026, the country's total poultry flock was estimated to have increased by 3.5% from the same period in 2025. Among them, white broilers recorded the strongest growth, as major companies continued to operate closed housing systems at full capacity. The flock of colored-feathered chickens grew more slowly due to their longer production cycle, while farmers remained cautious amid the market volatility experienced the previous year.

By the end of June, production of white broiler meat was estimated to reach around 580,000-600,000 tons, up 7-8% from the same period last year. Colored-feathered chicken meat was estimated at 420,000-440,000 tons, while duck meat was estimated at 180,000-190,000 tons. Notably, the rapid shift from chicken to duck farming in the second quarter of 2026 led to a sharp increase in waterfowl supply.

Poultry egg production also grew in the first two quarters of this year, reaching a record high of more than 10.8 billion eggs, with average growth of 4.8-5%.

Poultry egg producers and exporters are also making significant progress in technical quality control to gain access to some of the world's most demanding markets. In the first six months of the year, total poultry egg export volume was estimated at around 38-42 million eggs. Exported poultry egg products include fresh eggs, salted eggs, century eggs, and ready-to-eat processed egg products.

On June 18, 2026, after nearly two years of technical preparations, Vinh Thanh Dat Food Joint Stock Company officially exported its first container of ready-to-eat poultry eggs, containing 172,000 eggs, to Japan. Japan's approval of an export quota for Vinh Thanh Dat's ready-to-eat poultry eggs demonstrates that Viet Nam has established several poultry egg production value chains capable of maintaining a very high level of disease safety.

Hong Kong's continued lifting of import bans, together with its role as Viet Nam's largest gateway for the consumption of fresh and salted eggs, alongside Singapore, will also create opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to further boost poultry egg exports.