Piglets are scarce and prices are rising in Nghe An province.

According to data from the Nghe An Provincial Statistics Department, by the end of January 2025, the total number of pigs is estimated at 1,019,228, an increase of 3.05% (+30,166 pigs) compared to the same period in 2024. After the pig sales during the Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival, households, small farms, and large farms are currently actively restocking their herds to serve the market.

Due to high demand for restocking, the prices of gilts and piglets have also increased. Currently, gilts are selling for over 10-12 million VND/animal, 2-3 million VND/animal higher than during the low season. The price of piglets has also risen to 2.2-2.4 million VND/animal (lean, three-bloodline breed), an increase of 800,000 - 1 million VND/animal compared to the same period last year.

The price of piglets has increased significantly, and pig farms are unable to supply enough to the market. Many farmers report that purchasing piglets is currently quite difficult. Some households have even paid deposits months in advance but still haven't received their piglets for restocking.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien from Dung town (Thanh Chuong district) said: “After selling a batch of 10 pigs during Tet, the plan was to restock after the full moon. However, piglets are not easy to buy these days. Even though I've already paid a deposit to traders, they're saying I won't have the piglets until the end of the month.”

Unable to buy breeding pigs from large farms with super three-bloodline varieties (pigs crossbred from three different bloodlines), Ms. Duong Thi Nhung in Tao Son commune (Anh Son district) decided to buy free-range pigs from local people to raise. However, breeding pigs from local people are currently scarce and quite expensive. “Last year after Tet, I could buy free-range pigs from local people for only 700,000 - 800,000 VND. But this year, each pig has increased by 300,000 - 400,000 VND, and even then, they are hard to find.”

Not only small-scale farmers, but also large-scale livestock farms are facing difficulties in purchasing breeding stock to replenish their herds during this period.

Mr. Le Quoc Tan, the owner of a closed-system pig farm in Hung Nghia commune (Hung Nguyen district), said: "The farm has a scale of 200 sows, providing both piglets for my family and supplying them to local people. However, at this time, the number of piglets is not enough to meet the demand of people in the area."

According to Mr. Ho Trong Quyet, a pig breeder in Nghe An province, after selling pigs during the Tet and Mid-Autumn Festivals, many households, farms, and livestock breeders currently have empty pens. The persistently high price of live pigs is driving up the demand for restocking. Therefore, the demand for piglets has surged. Currently, the market for piglets only meets about 60% of the demand, mainly from private breeding farms, while companies are also experiencing a shortage of piglets.

"In previous years, after Tet (Lunar New Year), the demand for restocking increased but not sharply because pork prices remained stagnant, while feed prices rose, resulting in low profits or even breaking even. Now, with stable feed prices, disease control, and soaring pork prices, people are rushing to restock, driving up the price of piglets," Mr. Quyet said.

However, according to warnings from experts, while live pig prices are high and farmers are making good profits, the market is at a disadvantage because the high prices are slowing down consumption. The supply of pigs is decreasing compared to before, but this is only temporary and will soon stabilize. At this time, farmers should carefully consider increasing or restocking their herds to avoid risks.