HCM City (VNA) – Being the country’s top performer in veterinary services, Ho Chi Minh City is vying for the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)’s certificates of disease-free cattle and poultry zones, which helps promote the city’s agricultural exports.
The information was heard at a conference held in the southern hub on June 1.
According to Huynh Tan Phat, deputy head of the city’s Department of Animal Health, 64 breeding farms in the city were recognised as non-pandemic zones during 2011-2015 period.
The department is setting up two koi herpes virus-free ornamental fish breeding zones that meet the OIE’s requirements, aiming to enhance ornamental fish shipments to the European market.
The city has also set the target of having one breeding zone in Cu Chi district which is free of foot-and-mouth disease by 2018 and then duplicate the model in Binh Chanh and Hoc Mon districts by post 2020. In addition, VietGap certification will be branched out to breeding communes in Cu Chi and Hoc Mon districts.
By the end of May, 2016, businesses in Ho Chi Minh City had shipped 792 tonnes of eggs, 34 tonnes of quail eggs and 16 tonnes of salted duck eggs to such fastidious markets as Australia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.-VNA