HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Better cooperation between farmers, businessesand buyers is improving product quality in the animal husbandry industry inVietnam. 

Dr. Vo Trong Thanh, of the Animal Husbandry Department, said that over the last10 years Vietnam had seen a 15 – 20 percent increase in output of animalproducts, an indication that the industry’s farming capability has improved.

Speaking at a recent conference on high-quality farming of animal products inHCM City, Thanh said that about 30 percent of animal farm facilities hadswitched to more industrial and professional methods.

In addition, favourable government policies, such as financial aid for landrental and equipment purchases, have encouraged animal husbandry development.

More firms such as Vissan, Dabaco and Vinamilk are working with farmers,providing high-quality animal feed, medicine, and advanced farming techniquesto ensure quality and product traceability.

The companies’ distribution networks are also buying more products fromfarmers.

Dr. Michael Patching of Meat & Livestock Australia said that consumerstoday wanted consistently fresh and hygienic products from trustworthy sources,and were willing to pay more for such products.

Creating high-quality supply chains with product traceability is crucial tosatisfying consumer demand for healthy food, said Nguyen Tri Cong, Director of DongHiep Service, Production and Processing Cooperative in Dong Nai province.

The cooperative helped farmers process and transport goods in a safe way, andconnected them with buyers, he said.

Thanh said the ability to control supply and demand in the animal husbandryindustry, however, was still limited, causing prices to often fluctuate.

Many farming and processing facilities still do not conform to healthstandards, and connections between firms and farmers need to be improved.

Competition from foreign goods and the threat of disease are also challengesfor the industry to overcome.

Over the next 10 years, the number of professional farms is expected toincrease, and the output of these farms is expected to account for 70-75 percentof all animal products, according to Thanh.  

Meanwhile, the number of small farming households is projected to fall by 5-7percent annually.

The animal husbandry industry is striving for higher quality standards andincreased domestic sales and exports to ASEAN, the Middle East, Japan, Chinaand the Republic of Korea.

“Focusing on value chains is key to quick and sustainable growth of Vietnam’sanimal husbandry,” Thanh said.

Cong called for more favourable policies that would promote advancedtechnologies and help farmers adhere to quality standards.

More trade promotion and networking events will also benefit farmers andincrease sales, while improving public awareness to encourage consumption ofproduce with clear origin is also important, according to Cong.

During the conference, Meat & Livestock Australia signed a memorandum ofunderstanding with the Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam to develop theproduction and processing of chilled beef.

Dong Hiep Cooperative signed an MoU with pig farmers in Dong Nai, promising cooperationand purchasing.

Organised by Agritrade, Argotrade and Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam,the conference was part of the 2018 Vietstock international exhibition, whichis being held from Oct 17-19 to promote goods in animal husbandry, fishery,food processing and other industries.-VNS/VNA