Smuggling of cows, buffaloes, chickens and ducks puts pressure on the domestic husbandry industry, impeding its sustainable development, heard a conference held on Tuesday on smuggling prevention and husbandry sustainability.

Animal trafficking is harming the industry, and affecting the prices of cattle and poultry, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien.

Cattle and poultry smuggling cases have surged over the past few years, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Between January and September, police forces seized some 160,000 trafficked animals, nearly 44,000 eggs, and 116 kilograms of meat.

Phan Quang Minh, deputy head of the Department of Animal Health, cited statistics from the Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam that the number of live chickens smuggled reaches up to 250,000 tons a year.

Major-General Bui Trong The, deputy head of the Economic Security Department under the Ministry of Public Security, told the conference that police in Lang Son Province, northern Vietnam had busted 31 poultry trafficking rings, and imposed administrative fines totaling over VND214 million (US$8,800) for smuggling over the past few months.

Police in the northern province of Quang Ninh cracked down on three animal smuggling rings, confiscating over 50,000 breeds of poultry, and 19,000 eggs.

Some southern provinces such as Long An and Tay Ninh have also reported several cow and pig smuggling rings over the past few months.

“Domestic poultry farmers are increasing their herds to ensure an adequate supply for the rest of the year, so demands for breeds are soaring,” Minh said.

Therefore, smugglers are finding ways to traffic poultry breeds to Vietnam, leading to rampant livestock and meat smuggling, he added.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, chairman of the Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam, said that cattle and poultry smuggling is a big issue, hindering the country’s animal farming sustainability.

“Uncontrolled animal smuggling could spread animal diseases which are mostly found coming from abroad, make it tough to ensure food safety and threaten consumers’ health,” Duong underlined.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tien underscored that relevant units must clamp down on livestock smuggling.

Over the past few years, many animal raisers have incurred heavy losses, while some others faced bankruptcies as livestock smuggling has yet to be contained, Tien said.

Tien urged relevant agencies and police forces to enhance efforts to detect smuggling rings and sanction cattle and poultry traffickers.

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