Vietnam will allow the import of live pigs for the first time in a bid to counter the skyrocketing live hog prices in the domestic market, said an agricultural official.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien noted the import will be under tight monitoring to prevent negative impacts on the local market.

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Vietnam to import live pigs to cut live hog prices at home.

First shipments could probably come from Thailand, he unveiled, adding that the ministry will also create the best possible conditions for the import of breeding pigs to help increase the number of local herds.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has just sent a dispatch to the Department of Animal Health, giving the greenlight for the department to study the risks of pig imports based on documents submitted by export nations.

According to the dispatch, after analyzing the documents, the department must work with import companies to contact and organise online meetings with related official agencies of the exporters, in order to solve any hurdles and collect missing information for meeting requirements on animal health and sanitation and quarantine certificates for export.

Import firms must follow quarantine regulations to ensure safety for domestic herds. Imported pigs will be quarantined in 30 days as regulated.

According to statistics from Anova Feed company, on May 28, the liveweight prices of pigs were VND97,000 – VND100,000 (US$4.23) per kg in the north; VND95,000 – 100,000 in the central region; and VND93,000 – 99,000 in the south.

The Government’s recommended price is VND70,000 at the moment, which insiders said is almost impossible to achieve due to the shortage of market hogs.

Amid the shortage, it is hard for farmers to increase their number of pigs as the cost of a sow ranges between VND13 – 16 million (US$561.7 – 691.4) and that of a piglet is at a record level of VND3 – 3.6 million. Despite the high prices, pigs for sales are not always available.

Source: NDO/VNA