Pork imports aimed to make up for the shortage in supply and cool off
skyrocketing pork prices in the country which were caused by the African swine
fever.
Pork was mainly imported from Canada (up 29 percent), Germany (19 percent),
Poland (12 percent), Brazil (12 percent) and the US (5.5 percent).
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has recently asked the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development and relevant agencies to implement measures to lower pork
prices.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong asked big
husbandry companies to reduce live hog price to 70,000 VND per kg (3 USD).
Vietnam is stepping up pig reproduction with the focus on ensuring biosafety
standards. As a result, pork supply was expected to start to increase from this
month.
The Animal Health Department also urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade and
relevant agencies to provide support to Vietnamese firms in seeking sources to
import pork in the context of the novel coronavirus outbreak which was hindering
cross-border trade.
The ministry cited statistics that the global herd of pigs totalled 678 million
in January, 12 percent lower than the same month of 2019.
Since the beginning of this year, Vietnam has also increased imports of buffalo
meat (with 19,356 tonnes, up by 128 percent), beef (14,160 tonnes, up 217
percent) and poultry meat (48,300 tonnes, up by 86 percent).
Source: VNA