The export of livestock products remains very modest compared to the development potential due to the low quality of slaughterhouses and livestock farms and risk of disease. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Although Vietnam’s livestock industry is thriving, itsexport potential has yet to be tapped. Most of the country’s livestock productsonly serve domestic markets.
According to Pham Van Dong, Director of the Department of Animal Health underthe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the export oflivestock products remains very modest compared to the development potentialdue to the low quality of slaughterhouses and livestock farms and risk ofdisease.
“Animal husbandry in Vietnam is characterised by small-scale, scattered farms.Areas where there is a high animal husbandry density always face high risk ofdisease, affecting the export of livestock products,” Dong told a seminar heldin Hanoi this week.
The total number of pigs slaughtered in 2016 reached over 29 million, anincrease of 1.3 million compared with 2015. The figure for poultry was over 360million, up 20 million compared to 2015, according to statistics from MARD.
Vietnam has been exporting frozen suckling pigs to Hong Kong and Malaysia. The wholecountry has six slaughterhouses supplying pork for export to Hong Kong and twoproviding pork to Malaysia.
In 2016, the output of exported pork totaled 11,000 tonnes, worth nearly 100million USD. In the first five months of 2017, the figure was 10,600 tonnes,worth nearly 46 million USD.
Regarding poultry, neither live chicken nor processed chicken has beenexported, Dong said, adding that at present, there are only two companies thathave registered to export heat-processed chicken products to Japan, namely Koyu& Unitek Co Ltd and C.P. Vietnam Livestock Breeding JSC.
Concerning poultry eggs, there are currently five establishments producing andexporting eggs, including salted duck eggs and canned quail eggs, to Hong Kong,Singapore and Japan.
Nguyen Duc Hoang, chairman of Thang Loi Co Ltd, specialised in processing andexporting pork, said at the event that some of their partners from Singapore,Taiwan and the Republic of Korea had expressed their wish to import Vietnam’s processedsuckling pork but at the end they change their mind because Vietnamese productsfail to meet their requirements on production line and safety hygiene.
In order to boost livestock product export, the livestock industry should focuson improving the quality of the production line at all stages, rather than thequantity or the prices of pork. The two most important focuses should beconditions at the production facilities and animal health, Hoang said.
MARD’s Department of Animal Health reported that it had approved pilot schemesfor the establishment of disease-free areas in the northern provinces of Thai Binhand Nam Dinh. However, the project has been delayed.
Hoang Thi To Nga, deputy director of Nam Dinh Department of Agriculture andRural Development, said Nam Dinh faced many difficulties in capitalmobilisation for the project. "To date, only two communes in Nam Dinh havebeen recognised as disease-free areas,” Nga said.
Hoang said the State should set up disease-free areas as neither localities norbusinesses have enough resources to do so. In the long term, the establishmentof disease-free areas for pig and poultry breeding is necessary to increaseexports, he added.
Dong said livestock breeders should study and develop self-controlledproduction chains, which strictly control all stages of production frombreeding to slaughter to fulfil requirements of importing countries.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said Vietnam’slivestock industry should be restructured in a sustainable and competitivemanner, adding that a shift from small-scale household breeding to large-scalefarming will enable farmers to supply products that meet export requirements.
Large-scale animal farms typically use advanced technology helping them meetimporters’ requirements on techniques, quality and hygiene, he said.
He suggested local companies invest in modern facilities to produce and storeprocessed products for export. MARD will propose that the Government providecredits for businesses to expand export markets, he said.-VNA
VNA
