The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has allowed businesses to import live pigs from Thailand, starting from June 12, in an effort to cool down pork prices that have skyrocketed in the local market over the recent weeks.

Pham Van Dong, Director of the MARD’s Department of Animal Health, emphasised that the evaluation documents compiled by the World Veterinary Association indicate that live pigs imported from Thailand would ensure that disease safety conditions are met. 

Dong noted that Thailand has effectively been able to control the spread of diseases, including the African swine fever, among pigs. All imported pigs from Thailand do not use banned substances within their pig farming process in line with regulations set by both Thailand and Vietnam.

Moreover, each of the imported pigs have all been vaccinated to combat both the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), or blue-ear pig disease, and foot and mouth disease, Dong stressed.

The MARD representative revealed that a total of eight Thai businesses have registered to export approximately 5 million live pigs to Vietnam in the near future. Vietnamese importers are only allowed to import pigs from Thailand’s pig farming systems that have previously been certified and registered correctly by the Vietnamese veterinary agency.

According to regulations, local businesses must be equipped with quarantine breeding facilities and have specialised vehicles necessary to facilitate the transportation of pigs. Indeed, all livestock must have their samples taken before being slaughtered or placed into restocking herds.

MARD Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that the total number of pigs in the country had reached 24.89 million as of May 30, equivalent of 80.3% in comparison with the figure from the end of 2018.

Since the start of the year, Vietnam has imported roughly 8,000 pigs to breed, and it plans to purchase an additional 100,000 breeding pigs over the course of the year.

With efforts being made to import a greater number of pigs, demand for pork within the local market is projected to be met by the end of the year’s third quarter and ahead into the beginning of the fourth quarter, Tien said, adding that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has directed 100,000 tonnes of pork to be imported.

During the first five months of the year, the country imported over 70,000 tonnes of pork of all kinds.

Pork prices have kept skyrocketing in the domestic market, hovering around more than VND200,000 per kilogram.