Pork supply to meet demand on domestic market next months
Pork supply to meet demand on domestic market next months
Although pork is plentiful right now, the demand is expected to rise at the end of the year, then rocket by as much as 25 per cent when the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday is coming near. 
To meet the increase, Nguyen Xuan Duong, acting director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s Department of Livestock Production, said there must be close cooperation between the agriculture and trade and industry sectors.
He said the average price of pork is still stable, around VND65,000-66,000 per kilo in the north and about VND60,000-61,000 in the south.
But there has been a price increase recently to VND75,000 per kilo but this is due to mistakes in circulation and miscommunication, not lack of supply, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Duong also said the domestic market has not ran out of pork because many localities such as Bac Giang and Hung Yen provinces still have large supply of pigs.
Together with dealing with the African swine flu, the domestic agriculture sector has instructed to raise poultry, cattle and seafood so the total food supply does not fall short.
According to the MARD's Department of Animal Health, the African swine fever virus has so far spread to more than 7,700 communes of nearly 650 districts in all 63 provinces and cities of Viet Nam.
More than five million pigs have been culled in a bid to stop the outbreak spreading.
Kieu Dinh Thep, sales director of CP Vietnam Livestock Joint Stock Company, said pork supply has increased by about 10 per cent against last year with an average selling price at VND65,000 per kilo. The company will keep its pork price stable until the end of the year.
To increase the supply, CP Vietnam has improved productivity and re-breeding herds with biosecurity measure, Thep said.
Nguyen Van Long, deputy director of the Department of Animal Health, said pig producers should use biosecurity and control measures to gain success in increasing number of pigs.
