Vietnam begins importing live pigs for slaughter from Thailand
Saturday, June 13, 2020, 08:40 GMT+7
The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has given the green light to the import of live pigs from Thailand for both farming and slaughter from Friday.
In a document issued on Thursday, the ministry assigned its Animal Health Department to issue detailed guidance on quarantine measures for the imported pigs in line with existing regulations to prevent animal diseases and ensure the safety of domestic herds.
The department director is also responsible for boosting its coordination with inter-sector agencies at ports of entry and local authorities to strictly manage the live imports.
In a document signed by Agriculture and Rural Development Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien last month, the ministry required that imported hogs be subject to 30-day quarantine as per the effective regulations on cattle import.
This is the first time Vietnam has allowed the importation of live pigs for slaughter in a bid to bring down domestic pork prices that have skyrocketed over scarcity caused by the African swine fever epidemic last year.
Thailand was chosen as the supplier as its wholesale prices of live hogs currently range between VND55,000 (US$2.36) and VND60,000 ($2.57) per kilogram, much lower than Vietnam’s current live pig prices averaging VND95,000 ($4.08) per kilogram.
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