The livestock industry accounted for 25.2% of the agricultural sector's GDP with a steady growth of 4-6% each year over the past 10 years. (Photo: nongnghiep.vn) Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien made thestatement at a conference on building the livestock value chain held in Hanoion October 27.
Tien proposed enterprises producing the same product as well as operating inthe same value chain strengthen their cooperation in production and business.That would help the agriculture sector reach targets set out in the sector'sdevelopment strategy.
"It needs to set up strategies and create a close connection between Statemanagement agencies and the commodity associations. This will improve the positionand role of the associations and also exploit all potential of theindustry," Tien said.
Duong Tat Thang, director of the ministry's Department of Livestock Production,said that the domestic livestock industry still has a lot of room for developmentbecause it has a large consumer market at home with nearly 100 million people,and the neighbouring China market. However, the industry still has manylimitations, so not yet reaching requirements in the region and the world.
The livestock industry is requested to focus on improving quality and value formeeting the demand for delicious and clean food. This requires the industry tobuild a value chain of livestock products, ensuring quality, food safety andhygiene.
Nguyen Xuan Duong, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Livestock Association, saidthe livestock industry now has a strategic orientation, specific plans,solutions and a relatively complete legal framework.
The livestock sector has key products, such as pork, poultry meat and eggs;beef and milk; birds nests; and bees. It must have a chain-based developmentstrategy for each product line, he said.
Nguyen Thanh Son, chairman of the Poultry Breeding Association, said theindustry needs to determine key products in the next 10-20 years, productionand consumption scale, and the role of parts in the chain, includingenterprises, farmers, and cooperatives.
At present, foreign-invested enterprises are gradually occupying both domesticand export market share of the livestock sector.
Sơn has suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development createa favourable mechanism for commodity associations and enterprises to developthe livestock industry.
Vietnam has no law on associations, so the ministry is requested to issueregulations and mechanisms for the operation of associations in agriculture.
Tien said the livestock industry has a relatively complete institutionalframework, including the Law on Livestock, three decrees, five circulars, onedevelopment strategy of the livestock industry, and one sustainable developmentstrategy on agriculture and rural areas.
From 2010 to 2021, the industry saw an increase of 1.7 times in meatproduction, 2.7 times for eggs, four times for fresh milk, and about two timesin animal feed. The output of meat, eggs and dairy basically met the needs ofnearly 100 million people and 17 million tourists each year.
"The livestock accounted for 25.2 per cent of the agricultural sector'sGDP with a steady growth of 4-6% each year over the past 10 years," saidTien.
However, Vietnam's livestock production still faces challenges in terms ofdiseases, climate change and natural disasters, as well as fluctuations in themarket for raw materials for animal feed.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Trong, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Farms Association,said domestic enterprises have not yet seen the benefits of joining theassociation, causing the number of members to fall.
Trong said the associations should promote cooperation with cooperatives andfarmers. They also need to coordinate with the Department of LivestockProduction to build a traceability system./.
VNA
