Vietnam will have to import pork, beef and poultry at the end of this year if the animal breeding and feed processing industry fails to solve its current predicaments soon, the Vietnam News Agency reported, citing an official from the Vietnam Animal Feed Association.
Le Ba Lich, chairman of the association said that many pig farmers, especially in southern provinces, quit the biz when feed prices shot up.
The current price of pig feed is VND 8,500 (US$0.5) per kilo. To produce one kilogram of pork 2.6 kilogram of feed needs around VND 22,100 (US$1.3).
Meanwhile, a kg of live pig goes for VND32,000-VND34,000 (US$1.9-US$2) in southern Vietnam and VND28,000-VND30,000 (US$1.7-US$1.8) in northern Vietnam.
With capital used to buy breeding animals and animal feed coming from loans with 20 per cent interest, breeders cannot afford to continue their line of work, Lich said.
He added that blue ear disease, bird flu and foot and mouth diseases also contributed to the current meat shortage.
Pork accounts for 80 per cent of the country’s meat consumption, chicken 11 per cent-12 per cent, and beef 3 per cent-4 per cent.
Local meat consumption is especially high during the Christmas, New Year’s, and Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays, Lich said, adding that to avoid meat shortages and encourage pig farming, the association plans to invest in production and imports of raw materials for producing animal feed.
The association asked the Ministry of Finance to eliminate the value added tax (VAT) for raw produce, banks to decrease interest rates and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to reorganize distribution systems. (VNA)
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