New animal feed mills unlikely

HANOI – The Department of Livestock Production has proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) stop approving new animal feed factory projects in the country.

The department argued the domestic livestock industry is struggling with an oversupply which has sent prices of livestock, especially pigs, dipping.

At a press conference in Hanoi early this week, the ministry said meat imports had declined sharply. In the first two months of the year, the nation imported nearly 1,700 tons of pork, down 25% over the same period last year, and 15,000 tons of chicken, down 30% year-on-year.

“Meat imports have steadily edged down in the past three years. This is a clear indication that the country's livestock sector is able to meet the domestic demand,” said Hoang Thanh Van, director of the Department of Livestock Production under MARD.

But prices of meats, especially pork, have dropped since last year, delivering a blow to many livestock farming households. This is partly because pig exports to China via border trade have plunged.

A Vietnamese delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam has met the Chinese side to discuss ways to export Vietnamese farm produce to the neighboring country, especially pork and milk, said Tong Xuan Chinh, deputy director of the Department of Livestock Production.