The biggest challenge for the animal husbandry in Vietnam are limited breeding methods, especially allowing cattle and poultry to wander freely, which has resulted in uncontrollable epidemics.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has held a meeting to devise measures for sustainably developing the livestock industry for export.

New breeding methods

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat expressed his concern about the current situation of the animal husbandry in the country. He says that farming is developing strongly and the country is the world’s number one exporter of pepper and cashew nuts. It ranks second in exporting both rice and coffee and fifth in exporting rubber. Vietnam is also one of the world’s leading seafood exporters and the world’s timber workshop. However, the husbandry industry is worried about opening new doors.

In fact, there are only a few industrial farms and small-scale breeding is popular in most localities.

A representative from Lang Son province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development says 90 percent of cattle and poultry are raised randomly and allowed to wander, as a result epidemics occur interminably. In the recent cold spell, around 8,700 buffaloes and cows died.

Hanoi has 16 million pigs, 17 million poultry and 8,000 dairy cows, and 60 percent of livestock is raised by individual households.

Small-scale breeding, especially letting animals wander freely, is the main cause of epidemics. In 2010, blue-ear pig disease occurred in one-fourth of the communes across the country, resulting in around 600,000 out of 800,000 pigs being culled.

To contain epidemics and raise efficiency, head of the MARD’s Husbandry Department Hoang Kim Giao says the sector must change breeding methods, develop industrial farms, and apply scientific and technological advances to improve productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. However, developing industrial farms faces difficulties in acquiring land, breeding stock and capital.

Minister Phat has directed localities to develop their own plans, focusing on breeding animals suitable for each area and fencing in cattle and poultry to contain epidemics.

Exports

Despite many challenges, the husbandry industry aims to boost exports and limit imports, especially beef by 2015, Giao affirms.

In 2010, the sector imported more than 83,000 tonnes of meat, a year-on-year increase of 5.10 percent, of which poultry accounted for 99 percent. Livestock, such as buffaloes, cows and goats were mainly imported illegally from Cambodia over the south-west border while poultry, eggs and offal were mainly illegally transported from China across the northern border with Vietnam.

The Husbandry Department estimates that in 2010, 120,000-180,000 tonnes of pork was exported illegally over the northern border while around 185,000 tonnes were shipped legally.

The sector has targeted 7.5-8 percent growth rate in 2011 to limit illegal imports. Maintaining high growth will help the sector meet basic demands for staple food, such as meat, eggs, and dairy products. In addition, the sector will strive to boost exports of suckling pigs, salted duck eggs and honey.

Source: VOV