A consumer buys meat at a Hapro supermarket in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Largelivestock enterprises should keep pork prices in check despite limitedsupplies on the domestic market due to African swine fever, Minister ofAgriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuen Cuong has said.
Cuong was speaking after spendingthe day inspecting cattle, poultry and pig herds in Bac Giang province tocheck there were enough supplies for before and after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.
He said inflated pork priceswould drive consumers away from local pork to other meats orimported products, causing problems for the domestic pork market.
There were also too many intermediariesinvolved in the distribution of pork products, adding to the higherprices, Cuong said.
State agencies as well asproduction and distribution firms should try to reduce the number ofintermediaries between production and distribution to benefitboth producers and consumers, he added.
On December 19, the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development (MARD) instructed Vietnamese livestockenterprises to focus on rebuilding their herds following the outbreak ofAfrican swine fever and ask them to desist from smuggling toChinese market to enjoy higher prices.
The MARD has asked the Ministryof Finance to direct localities to provide more funding for thefarmers' recovery.
It has also asked the StateBank of Vietnam to direct local banks to make it easier for businesses andfarmers to access loans for expansion, recovery of livestockproduction and processing.
To strictly control the porkmarket, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will set up inspection teamswith the General Department of Market Management, and police and veterinarydepartments to control the market and stop the consumption of pork withoutorigin.
At the same time, market watchdepartments in co-operation with other State agencies will closely monitortrade with neighbouring countries to ensure enough supply for thedomestic market and prevent the spread of African swine flu.
The MoIT's Domestic MarketDepartment forecast that demand in December 2019 and January 2020would reach about 600,000 tonnes of pork.
According to the MARD, beefoutput this year is forecast to reach 350,000 tonnes, up 4.4 percent yearon year, while fresh milk output will surge 10 percent to about 1.1million tonnes. Poultry meat is estimated to hit 1.26 million tonnes, up15 percent, while eggs will rise 12 percent to 14 billion.
Domestic pig production has facedmany difficulties, especially African swine fever that has led to millions ofanimals being culled. Pork output in 2019 is estimated to reach 3.3million tonnes, down 13.5 percent from last year.
The MoIT has cooperatedwith relevant ministries and sectors to ensure a balance between supplyand demand and stabilise markets for agricultural products at the end ofthe year and the Lunar New Year, especially for pork supplies.
The MARD has also promoted thedevelopment of the cattle, poultry and fisheries sectors to increaseoutput by more than 400,000 tonnes compared to 2018. Those productsshould partially offset the pork shortage.
Importing pork would alsohelp stabilise the domestic food market, said the MoIT, adding that in thefirst 10 months, Vietnam imported 96,000 tonnes of pork with a total value ofmore than 108 million USD, an increase of 101.7 percent in volume and 94.9 percentin value over the same period last year.
According to the MARD, total meatoutput in 2019 was estimated at 5.14 million tonnes, down 4.1 percent year onyear.
Pork is an essential foodand accounts for about 70 percent of meat consumed in the country, but outputhas fallen by 9-10 percent, or 380,000 tonnes, compared to 2018./.
VNA
