The Vietnam Dairy Products JS Co. (Vinamilk) has signed a frameworkagreement for cooperation with Lam Dong for breeding dairy cows in theCentral Highlands province through 2020.

The deal will helpVinamilk set up an area from where it will obtain fresh milk and buildlarge farms and a new milk processing factory to develop new products.

LamDong has an "Agriculture – Farmer – Rural development" policy and thecooperation will help make dairy cows a "key domestic animal" in itsagricultural sector, increase the ratio of animal husbandry andcontributing to local economic development.

Lam Dong authoritieshave promised to create the best conditions for Vinamilk to build twoto three milk cow husbandry farms with a total of 10,000 cows and moderntechnologies.

The company will set up a model cow farm for local farmers to study and learn.

Italso plans to build a breeding centre which will provide importedpurebred Holstein Friesian cows to local farmers and households toincrease productivity and quality.

Vinamilk will set up milkbuying centres to purchase at least 90 percent of the produce of farmersat specialised dairy farming zones set up by the province.

Thecentres would also provide advanced farming techniques, feed, and cowsfor breeding, training in animal breeding and veterinary medicines tolocal farmers, the company said.

Vinamilk has provided 150,900 euro for building 30 model household cow breeding farms.

Vinamilk's purchase of fresh milk in Lam Dong has increased from 3,000 tonnes in 2008 to 16,000 tonnes last year.-VNA