Viet Nam to host 21st Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies Animal Science Congress

The Animal Husbandry Association of Viet Nam (AHAV), in coordination with Nong nghiep va Moi truong (Agriculture and Environment) Newspaper, held a press conference in Ha Noi on September 14 to introduce the 21^st AAAP 2026.

According to the organising committee, AAAP 2026 will be hosted by AHAV at the National Convention Centre in Ha Noi under the theme "Sustainable Animal Production".

Around 1,400 delegates have so far registered to attend, including approximately 600 international delegates from 42 countries and territories. They include scientists, experts, managers, businesses, associations, and international organisations working in animal production, veterinary medicine, the environment, and food processing. The organising committee has also received more than 994 scientific papers.

AAAP is held every two years, rotating among its member countries. Established in 1980, AAAP brings together many countries and territories with developed animal production industries, including China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The congress is an important scientific forum aimed at promoting research cooperation, academic exchange and the application of scientific and technological advances to animal production in the region and around the world.

Viet Nam previously hosted the 13th AAAP in 2008, with 1,270 delegates from 32 countries and territories. Eighteen years later, Viet Nam has once again been selected to host the congress, as the animal production industry faces strong demands for transformation towards modern and sustainable development.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, Chairman of AHAV and Head of the AAAP 2026 Organising Committee, said that Viet Nam's animal production industry has made significant progress. Viet Nam ranks sixth in the world in pig numbers and second in waterfowl numbers, while animal feed production, veterinary medicines, and dairy processing are among the leading sectors in ASEAN.

According to Nguyen Xuan Duong, animal production not only provides meat, eggs, and milk but is also directly linked to people's livelihoods. Therefore, the sustainable animal production ecosystem should be viewed through four pillars: economic welfare, environmental welfare, social welfare, and animal welfare.

Viet Nam's hosting of AAAP 2026 is considered an important milestone, contributing to strengthening Viet Nam's role in scientific and technological cooperation, investment, and animal production development, while expanding connections with the international scientific community, businesses, and partners.

Speaking at the press conference, Le Trong Dam, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Agriculture and Environment Newspaper, said one of the congress's important orientations is to strengthen connections among science, technology, policies, businesses, and animal producers, and promote the application of research findings in production practice.

Pham Kim Dang, Deputy Director General of the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said the global animal production industry is undergoing a strong shift towards smart production, with the goal of simultaneously promoting economic development, ensuring social equity, protecting the environment, and improving animal welfare. Therefore, to realise the goal of sustainable development, Viet Nam's animal production industry needs to focus on scientific and technological solutions.