Urgently innovate livestock policies in the integration period

(Baonghean) - There is no doubt that, with the consensus reached after 5 years of negotiations, at times seemingly deadlocked, the 12 countries participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) - the world's largest trade agreement - have finally reached an agreement in the negotiation round just concluded in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. According to economic experts, TPP is the path to open up a strong growth future for participating countries. For Vietnam, the livestock industry is one of the manufacturing industries most strongly affected by TPP.

Easy to scale up, increase output

In the agricultural economy, livestock and crop production play the role of two main production sectors and always go together. The proportion of the livestock industry accounts for about 27% of the total agricultural production value (APL) and tends to increase. This is reflected in the fact that livestock is the main source of income for farmers, the livelihood of the majority of farming households in agricultural production areas. Not only that, in recent years, livestock has become an attractive industry for domestic and foreign enterprises and farms. Specifically: for foreign enterprises: in the field of animal feed production, many enterprises have invested in Vietnam such as CP Company, Cargill, Prococo, Jappa Comfeed, Newhope, Dehues, ... and in recent years have invested hundreds of millions of dollars, bringing the output of industrial animal feed in our country to nearly 15 million tons and ranking 12th in the world. In the field of milk production, there are companies such as Dutch Lady, Nestle, ...

Mr. Hoa Xuan Lieu in hamlet 2B, Hung Dao commune (Hung Nguyen) takes care of his pigs. Photo: Truong Sinh

In recent years, domestic enterprises have also increased investment in the livestock sector, such as Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Duc Long (Gia Lai), Minh Du (Binh Dinh), Binh Minh, Phu Son (Dong Nai), Dabaco, ... In the field of animal feed production, there are Dabaco, Vina, Greenfeed, USA, Viet Phap, ... With livestock farms, the number of farms and livestock farms is increasing (from 6,267 farms in 2011 to 9,377 farms in 2014) and focusing on industrial and semi-industrial scale livestock farming. Product quality is increasing day by day, food hygiene and safety is increasingly focused.

According to Dr. Hoang Thanh Van, Director of the Department of Livestock (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), the reason for the development of the livestock industry is because it is easy to expand the scale, easy to increase output, easy to absorb technology application and easy to industrialize. However, with small-scale livestock farming still accounting for a high proportion in the total number of livestock farmers; livestock breeding has not been strictly managed and given due attention, processing is still limited (there are very few enterprises operating in the field of processing livestock products and only at the small and medium scale, technology is still simple and most of them are only at the preliminary processing stage); production organization is not good, currently the organization of production in livestock farming still has many shortcomings, has not created a close connection between the three parties (farmers, producers - researchers - enterprises), so the efficiency of Vietnam's livestock industry is not high - Director Hoang Thanh Van commented.

Forced to take advantage

In the time and period of strong integration into the international economy, along with other economic sectors, the livestock industry is in a position where it is forced to promote its advantages in the ability to produce certain types of livestock in order to improve productivity, quality, competitiveness and added value; sustainable development contributes to ensuring social security and environmental protection. Accordingly, to achieve the above goals, it is necessary to simultaneously implement many specific goals. That is, it is necessary to build and review livestock development planning; build policies, legal documents and improve institutions; improve productivity and quality of livestock and poultry breeds; research and apply science and technology, technical advances in production; implement propaganda, training and coaching activities; innovate veterinary work.

According to Director Hoang Thanh Van, among the solutions to be implemented, it is necessary to implement solutions on livestock planning first. It is necessary to review and re-evaluate the livestock planning of the provinces on the basis of restructuring the livestock industry of the province. For provinces that do not have a plan, issue a livestock planning in accordance with the restructuring orientation in the coming time. Not only that, it is necessary to plan livestock development in conjunction with slaughter planning and consumption markets; build disease-free livestock areas and production linkage models associated with traceability of livestock products.

In addition, with policy solutions, it is worth noting the proposal to promulgate the Law on Animal Husbandry and the guiding documents for its implementation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In particular, it is necessary to amend and promulgate state management documents on animal breeds and animal feed, and the livestock environment associated with climate change; promulgate regulations and standards on animal breeds, feed, and the livestock environment; prevent and control epidemics and veterinary hygiene; promulgate livestock breeding, slaughtering, and processing procedures in the direction of disease safety and biosafety. Regarding state management, in the new situation, the new and clear situation, the livestock industry must more closely implement inspection, examination, and supervision of breed management, animal feed, and the environment; prevent and control epidemics and slaughter - Director Hoang Thanh Van said.

Illustration

For solutions to improve the productivity and quality of livestock and poultry, the livestock industry needs state agencies to perform better and more strictly the work of appraisal, selection and elimination of unqualified male breeds. Obviously, it is necessary to build a national management system for livestock male breeds, along with upgrading livestock breeding facilities managed by the central and local governments. The import of new livestock and poultry breeds; high-quality livestock semen (cows, pigs) to serve the selection and crossbreeding work to improve the productivity of domestic livestock and poultry herds also needs to be promoted in addition to investing resources in scientific research in the field of livestock. In biotechnology and genetics research, the selection and pure breeding of pig and poultry breeds with high productivity and quality according to the orientation of domestic consumption and export as well as research on selection and crossbreeding of hybrid combinations (pigs, colored-feather chickens) suitable for ecological regions to increase added value and regional advantages are very important. In addition, there are many other important solutions that need to be implemented - Director Hoang Thanh Van affirmed.

Red River