Vietnam to face shortage of pork in late 2019
Vietnam to face shortage of pork in late 2019
Vietnam has culled some four million pigs infected with African swine fever (ASF) virus, so the market is expected to face a shortage of up to 500,000 tons of pork by late 2019.
A source from the Department of Animal Health at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on August 22 noted that ASF outbreaks had hit 63 provinces and cities nationwide.
The number of culled pigs is high, resulting in the undersupply of pork and a spike in pig prices.
Many provinces and cities saw live pig prices rise by VND2,000-VND5,000 per kilogram this month compared with figures seen in late July, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The price of pigs continued its upward trend on August 22. In Quang Ninh Province, live pigs sold for VND49,000-VND50,000 per kilogram, while the prices of live pigs in Hai Duong Province, Haiphong City, Nam Dinh Province and Phu Tho Province ranged from VND47,000 to VND49,000 per kilogram.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade also forecast that the prices of pork will continue soaring until the end of the year, especially on days nearing the Tet holiday, as many farmers and farming households will be more cautious about raising new herds of pigs.
The ministry also cited a report on the local pork market by Ipsos Business Consulting, noting that in late 2019, Vietnam’s pork shortage will amount to 20% of the market’s total demand.
