Staff from a Vietnamese importing company buying from Lotte Well Food in September last year take a group photo during a visit to Lotte's factory in Hoengseong-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. (Lotte Well Food)

By Kang Gahui

The domestic dairy industry is exercising growing influence over the dry milk market of Southeast Asia.

Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp. on Feb. 18 said powdered milk exports to the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last year set a record-high USD 30.7 million (KRW 44.2 billion), triple the volume of USD 10.5 million in 2014.

By weight, such shipments last year reached 2,465 tons, up 260% from 932 tons in 2014.

The biggest ASEAN market was Cambodia with USD 15.6 million (KRW 22.5 billion), a 14-fold increase, with Korean giant Namyang Dairy Products accounting for 80%-90% of the total. The company also released Star Grow, a product specifically for the Cambodian market.

Dry milk exports to Vietnam hit USD 15 million (KRW 21.6 billion), up 60% over the 10-year period. Lotte Wellfood is expanding its market share there through its product Nubone, while Ildong Foodis is developing products catering to Southeast Asia's No. 3 country in population.

kgh89@korea.kr