A piggery in Vietnam (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong has urged livestockbusinesses to cooperate with the Government and with each other to bring thelive pig price down from the current 75,000 VND (3.17 USD) to 70,000 VND per kgas from April 1.
The minister made the call at aworking session with 15 big livestock companies in Hanoi on March 30.
The minister hailed the companies formaintaining safe breeding in the recent past despite the threat of the Africanswine fever (AFS) epidemic. As of March 10, the country’s pig stocks stood atnearly 24 million, equivalent to 74 percent of the stocks before the hit of theAFS in 2018, and are expected to reach the pre-AFS epidemic number at the endof the third quarter or beginning of the fourth quarter.
He also asked the businesses to makerecommendations for a more sustainable development of the pig industry.
The Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment (MARD) has been working with livestock companies to restore the pigstocks and bring pork prices down.
At the same time, the Government hasallowed more import of pork, with total volume this year reaching 39,191 tonnesas of March 27, up 312 percent year on year.
The pork price has stayed high sincelate 2019, affecting the Consumer Prices Index and posing the risk that the CPIincrease could not be kept under 4 percent as targeted, according to thepricing management committee.
In concluding the session, DeputyPrime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung assigned the MARD and the Ministry of Industryand Trade to coordinate with localities and businesses to bring down theproduction costs of the livestock industry, and intensify the management ofprices on the market and intermediary costs in distribution.
The ministries are also asked tobuild plans to expand the pig herds while ensuring supply-demand balance./.
VNA
