Vietnam considers importing meat due to shortage

HCM City (VNA) - Vietnam will have to import pork, beef and poultry at the end of this year if the animal breeding and feed processing industry fails to solve its current predicaments soon, Le Ba Lich, chairman of the Vietnam Animal Feed Association has warned.

Lich said many pig farmers, especially in southern provinces, quit the biz
when feed prices shot up.

The current price of pig feed is 8,500 VND (0.5 USD) per kilogram. To
produce one kilogram of pork 2.6 kilogram of feed are needed costing 22,100
VND (1.3 USD).

Meanwhile, a kg of live pig goes for 32,000-34,000 VND (1.9-2 USD) in the
south and 28,000-30,000 VND (1.7-1.8 USD) in the north.

With capital used to buy breeding animals and animal feed coming from
loans with 20 percent interest, breeders cannot afford to continue their
line of work, Lich said.

On top of farmers moving on, blue ear disease and bird flu also
contributed to the current meat shortage.

Pork accounts for 80 percent of the country's meat consumption, chicken
11-12 percent, and beef 3-4 percent.

Local meat consumption is especially high during the Christmas, New Year's,
and Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays, according to Lich.

To avoid meat shortages and encourage pig farming, Lich said, the
association plans to invest in production and imports of raw materials for
producing animal feed.

The association asked the Ministry of Finance to eliminate the value added
tax (VAT) for raw produce, banks to decrease interest rates and the
Ministry of Industry and Trade to reorganise distribution systems.-Enditem