Credit institutions have assisted households affected by African swine fever (ASF) with 357 billion VND (15.35 million USD), heard a press conference in Hanoi on June 13.

Credit institutions have assisted households affected by African swine fever (ASF)
with 357 billion VND (15.35 million USD), heard a press conference in Hanoi on June 13. 

According to Nguyen Quoc Hung, Director of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)’s Credit Department, the credit institutions have restructured loan terms, maintained the group of loans worth 68 billion VND (2.9 million USD), exempted and reduced interest rates worth 13 billion VND (559.000 USD) and granted new loans worth 275 billion VND (11.82 million USD) to pig breeders.  

Since the beginning of this year, the central bank has instructed the credit institutions to take solutions to remove difficulties facing rice production and pig farming sectors. 

In March, the SBV also issued a document requesting the credit institutions and SBV branches in cities and provinces to assist clients affected by ASF. 

The ASF in pigs has appeared in 55 out of 63 provinces and centrally run cities in the country, forcing the cull of 2.5 million pigs, or 7.5 percent of the total pig stocks, it was reported at a conference on fighting the disease and restoring the pig farming industry on June 13. 

As of June 11, the disease had been reported at 3,980 communes in 407 districts of 55 provinces and cities, with Ho Chi Minh City the latest hit. Meanwhile, 199 communes in 92 districts of 25 provinces and cities have recorded no new outbreaks for at least 30 days. However, new outbreaks emerged again in 55 communes in 15 provinces and cities after a 30-day period of no new cases.

African swine fever does not affect humans but causes haemorrhagic fever in pigs and wild boars that is almost always fatal. There is currently no antidote or vaccine, with the only known preventative measure being a mass cull of infected livestock. The disease spreads by contact between infected pigs or other wild animals and can inflict massive economic damage on farms.