Vinamilk enters Thai market

The Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk), Vietnam’s largest milk producer, has selected Top Most Enterprise (TME) – a Thai company – to distribute Vinamilk products in Thailand, a dairy product market worth about $1.7 billion/year.

Siwat Thamaranothai, TME’s managing director, told the Bangkok Post that he suggested TME serve as the Thai distributor after enjoying Vinamilk yoghurt during a trip to Vietnam.

The company launched Vinamilk yoghurt in the Thai market at selected modern retail chains such as Lawson convenience stores and The Mall and Foodland supermarkets three months ago.

This product is priced at 17-19 baht, higher than other brands. TME expects to cover all distribution channels in the second quarter of next year.

Most Enterprise also plans to launch Vinamilk UHT milk.

Vinamilk was the only dairy company in Vietnam to make the list of the Top 300 most dynamic companies in Asia, as recently voted upon by the Nikkei Asian Review.

Its products are now sold in nearly 200 stores in 45 provinces in Vietnam and in more than 43 countries, such as Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, China, Turkey, Russia, Canada, and the US.

The company has also bought a 22.8 per cent stake in Miraka from New Zealand, 70 per cent in Driftwood in the US, and 51 per cent in Angkor Milk in Cambodia, as well as a subsidiary in Poland as a gateway to Europe.

It plans to build a new milk powder plant in Vietnam next year and will expand production at its New Zealand plant, which is operating at full capacity.