Why does the Government require a price reduction, but pork in Nghe An remains high?

At this time, at traditional markets and supermarkets in Nghe An, the most expensive food item is still pork. Consumers wonder why the Government has directed that the price of live pigs be reduced to 70,000 VND/kg from April 1, but until now, pork prices are still as high as before.

Pork sold at markets in Vinh city on the morning of April 6 ranged from 140,000 - 150,000 VND/kg. Photo: Quang An

According to a survey by PV at markets in Vinh City such as Vinh market, Ga market... pork prices are still high, ranging from 140,000 - 150,000 VND/kg on the morning of April 6. The price of live pigs is also approximately 80,000 VND/kg, with no signs of price reduction.

When asked about the Government's requirement that pork prices must be reduced below 70,000 VND/kg for live pigs and finished meat products must not be at a high level, a meat shop owner said: "I import pigs from slaughterhouses, if the price from the slaughterhouse decreases, then I can sell them to the market at a low price...".

Pork sold at supermarkets in Vinh City on the morning of April 6 was listed at a high price. Photo: Quang An

At supermarkets in Vinh City, pork prices are even higher than those in traditional markets, and there is no sign of a price reduction. At a supermarket in Vinh City on the morning of April 6, pork was listed at VND179,000/kg for pork belly and VND187,900/kg for spare ribs. Other types of meat are still above VND180,000/kg.

According to research, there are two main reasons why pork prices in Nghe An remain high: people's demand for food is currently increasing, some households are worried about pork shortages and have bought large quantities to stockpile, and small traders see that pork is selling well so they keep prices sky-high.

Besides, because the price of live pigs in Nghe An is still at 78,000 - 80,000 VND/kg, it is understandable that the price of finished pigs is from 150,000 VND or more.

In traditional rural markets, pork prices remain as high as before. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc - owner of a pork stall at Yen Thanh town market said that currently pork prices cannot be reduced, still ranging from 140,000 to 150,000 VND/kg, because the price of live pigs is from 78,000 to 80,000 VND/kg.

Mr. Tran, a pig butcher in Nam Thanh commune (Yen Thanh), said that currently, the price of live pigs raised by farmers is 80,000 VND/kg, while pigs caught by traders from farms are sold at 77,000 VND/kg.

Pork is sold at a high price, so consumers hesitate before buying. Photo: Xuan Hoang

According to pork traders, due to the high price of pork, the amount of pork consumed daily is not much. For example, at Yen Thanh town market, each table only sells 20 - 25 kg of pork per market session. Therefore, not only consumers but also meat sellers want pork to be cheaper to make it easier to consume and sell in larger quantities. Currently, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, people are not making money, while pork is sold at high prices, so it is difficult to consume.

Nghe An currently has nearly 900 thousand pigs, meeting the market demand in the province. Photo courtesy of Xuan Hoang

Mr. Nguyen Van Lap - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: People need to understand clearly that the Government's direction to bring the price of live pigs down to below 70,000 VND/kg is to ensure sustainable livestock farming. Therefore, if farmers and farms do not accompany the Government, the supply will exceed demand, and the price of pigs will decrease sharply. Currently, the African swine fever epidemic in the province has been basically controlled, the province's pig herd is at nearly 900,000 heads, when the weather is favorable, people will quickly restore their herds, it is forecasted that in the next 4 months, the province's pig herd will increase, the supply will be more abundant, and the price of pigs will be low.

"Currently, Vietnam has imported thousands of tons of pork, so in big cities, imported pork is widely sold in supermarkets and stores, so Nghe An also needs a solution to bring imported pork to encourage people to eat imported pork" - Mr. Nguyen Van Lap shared.

Following the Government's directive, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requires large livestock enterprises to reduce the price of live pigs to 70,000 VND/kg from April 1, moving towards lower prices, at an appropriate level when pig output reaches the high level as before the epidemic in the last quarters of 2019.