Vietnam must import pork to meet domestic demand. (Source: tapchicongthuong.vn)Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministryof Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) have proposed the Government importpork based on the directions of Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue.
Theimports aim to protect businesses, farmers and consumers, Hoang Anh Tuan,Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Domestic Market Department, said at an onlinedialogue held by the Government’s online newspaper on November 26.
He said Vietnamhas traded pork with 24 countries and imports will depend on businesses’ demandto ensure pork supply before, during and after Tet, he said.
Theministry will work with the agriculture sector to control imported porkproducts to ensure food safety.
Accordingto Nguyen Xuan Duong, Acting Director of the MARD’s Department of LivestockProduction, pork has no import quotas and is controlled by quarantine.
He saiddue to African swine fever, pork supply would be short at about 200,000 tonnesso Vietnam must import pork to meet domestic demand.
If theState had good control of quality and origin for pork imports, the agriculturalsector would not be afraid of imports, Duong said. However, pork prices acrossthe world were also high so imported pork products wouldn't necessarily becheap.
Meanwhile,along with safe pig breeding, the MARD wants localities to prepare morepoultry, cattle and seafood products, while citizens need to restructure mealsto ensure nutrition and avoid dependence on pork.
Pham Huy Dang,Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hanoi - the second largest producer of pork in thecountry after Dong Nai province - said the department was guiding farmers tobreed pigs safely.
Tocontrol the disease, Dang said it was important that authorities have goodmanagement of facilities in the pork trade.
The MoITalso asked departments of industry and trade to work with processingenterprises and slaughterhouses to control African swine fever./.
VNA
