Despite skyrocketing pork prices, Nghe An does not massively expand its herd.
(Baonghean.vn) - After a long period of hardship, pig farmers have begun to make a profit since March 2018, when the price of live pigs began to increase again and has now reached 56,000 VND/kg. According to Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh, Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, to avoid a repeat of the disastrous drop in pork prices in 2017, people should not massively expand their herds.
PV:Sir! The price of live pigs has increased quite sharply in the past few months. In your opinion, what is the cause of this phenomenon and is it likely to last?
Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh: In 2017, the price of live pigs fell sharply due to the supply far exceeding the actual demand of the market. Therefore, along with the recommendations and propaganda measures of the authorities, farmers across the country have adjusted the scale of farming, not expanding the herd massively but even reducing the herd to match the consumption demand, balancing supply and demand in pig farming. And up to now, it can be affirmed that we have balanced, brought the price of live pigs back to a suitable price, helping farmers make a profit.
Currently, the Department of Animal Husbandry is conducting a survey nationwide to forecast market demand and propose measures to regulate the pig farming industry in the coming time.
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| Clean pork is sold at VietGAP Dien Thanh market, Dien Chau district. Photo: Phu Huong |
PV:Does the scale of Nghe An’s pig farming industry currently exceed the planning? What solutions do we have in the coming time to contribute to ensuring a balanced supply with demand as well as increasing production value, sir?
Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh: Nghe An province currently has nearly 890,000 pigs. When the pig market was unsold in 2017, our pig herd was only at 915,000 pigs. Nghe An farmers were in trouble because the domestic supply was too surplus, and too many pigs from other localities were pouring into our province.
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| Vaccine cabinet of Tien Thanh Pig Farm, Yen Thanh district. Photo: Phu Huong |
Besides directing and recommending to maintain the pig herd size within the province's planning, to contribute to stabilizing market prices as well as increasing production value for farmers, Nghe An is currently focusing on two main tasks, which are increasing pig weight and improving meat quality.
To increase pig weight, the province focuses on implementing solutions to change the breed structure to have high-yield, good-quality pig breeds, by importing foreign boars and sows for domestic crossbreeding.
From Decision 15 of 2018 on supporting families importing 50 or more foreign sows, Decision 2695 dated June 21, 2017 of the Provincial People's Committee fully supports breeding pig semen for foreign pigs, concentrated farms are supported with sows and boars, small-scale farms are supported with foreign pig semen.
In 2017, the whole province inoculated over 50,000 doses of foreign pig semen, since the beginning of the year, over 30,000 doses of semen have been inoculated; many farms and breeding systems have been supported to import foreign boars from France, Denmark... The rate of crossbred pigs in the whole province is currently over 90%.
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| Pig farmers are supported to improve the quality of their breeding stock. Photo: Phu Huong |
To improve meat quality, Nghe An has a policy of applying high technology to livestock farming, including: applying biotechnology in feed production to improve digestion and absorption capacity for pigs; applying biotechnology to treat environmental pollution in livestock farming; applying high automation technology in livestock farming.
At the same time, it is recommended that livestock farmers in the current period not increase their herds massively, continue to develop VietGAP livestock farming, clean livestock farming, and properly handle the livestock farming environment to have delicious, clean products, ensuring food safety.
PV: Thank you!
