Swine fever wreaks havoc on agricultural sector
Swine fever wreaks havoc on agricultural sector
The damage from African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks nationwide caused the growth rate of the local agricultural sector to tumble to 2.71% in the first half of the year. Without the impact of swine fever, the growth rate could have reached 3 to 4%, said officials.
The disease has hit 60 provinces and cities, causing some three million infected pigs to be culled, Pham Van Dong, head of the Department for Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told a meeting on June 28 in Hanoi, to review production activities and results of the sector in the first half.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that swine fever has caused the most severe damage seen in the history of the local livestock sector. The number of infected pigs being culled accounted for 10% of the country’s total.
The rampant spread of swine fever has prompted the ministry to review its development strategies in the sector for the next 10 years to avoid possible food shortages, Cuong added.
As for restructuring the agricultural sector, Minister Cuong said Vietnam will expand its agricultural market overseas, with the main focus on Africa and ASEAN countries, adding that at least 500,000 hectares of rice farming land will be converted into land for aquatic farming and fruit cultivation, as part of a long-term plan.
Rice processing and the sustainable production chain will be bolstered to maximize economic efficiency for local rice farming, said the minister.
