Amidst the 'price storm', local pigs are still in high demand

(Baonghean.vn) - While pigsWhile the lowland market is struggling, highland 'local pigs' are still in high demand.

Weekends and holidays are considered "business opportunities" for suppliers of mountain specialties. Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, who specializes in selling mountain specialties in Muong Xen town, Ky Son district, said that is when he receives the most calls to place orders. Customers are often officials, civil servants, and teachers in the area and neighboring districts.

According to Mr. Vinh, summer is here, traveling and picnicking to streams and waterfalls is becoming a new trend among civil servants and people with good incomes in mountainous areas. On such trips, they often bring along a pig weighing over 10kg as a snack.

Thanks to catching that trend and being diligent in getting acquainted with these customers, the pigs he bought from villages in the border district of Ky Son sold quite well. "On the occasion of April 30 and May 1, I sold nearly 10 pigs a day, the price of live pigs was 100,000 VND/kg," Mr. Vinh boasted.

“Shackled” pigs, a type of farming that creates a local specialty, are often scarce because they are only raised in small numbers. Photo: Ho Phuong

Similar to Ky Son district, in Que Phong district, the price of local pigs is still 3-4 times higher than the price of normal pigs. Each pig weighing from 10-20kg costs 110,000 VND/kg. Pigs weighing over 50kg cost 60,000 VND/kg, twice the price of normal pigs.

According to Mr. Nguyen Hung Cuong, a trader of mountain specialties in Que Phong district, he receives about 15-20 calls every week to order local pigs. Customers mainly come from lowland areas and Vinh city.

Local pigs are raised on natural food sources. Photo: Huu Vi

According to Mr. Cuong, extensive and free-range farming creates a specialty of local pigs with the characteristics of firm, delicious meat, without worrying about antibiotic residues in the meat... However, this form of farming also makes it very difficult to ensure a large quantity to supply the market.

Another thing that worries people who do business in highland specialties is "fake" local pigs. In addition to tricks such as dyeing them black and adding hair to make them look like wild pigs, nowadays many people import piglets from the lowlands, then raise them free-range for a short time and then sell them, so consumers need to be careful./.

Huu Vi - Ho Phuong