VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese agencies are considering allowing the import of Chinese poultry meat. The inews has been published on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MARD) Department of Animal Health’s website.

The import was put into discussion at the fourth official conference of the Vietnamese and Chinese animal health agencies. If the two sides can reach consensus on the issue, Chinese poultry will arrive in Vietnam through official channels. 

To date, Chinese poultry has been entering Vietnam through unofficial channels, especially via border gates.

The information about the opening of the poultry meat market to Chinese has raised worries, as the bird flu epidemic still exists in China. A report showed that 44 flu cases and 10 deaths were reported  from September 2015 to February 2016. 

The information about the opening of the poultry meat market to Chinese has raised worries, as the bird flu epidemic still exists in China.

Following the report, MARD sent an urgent dispatch to local authorities, requesting northern provinces to strictly control the poultry trade and transport across the border gates to prevent the spread of the bird flu.

Nguyen Minh, the owner of a fowl farm in Dong Nai province, warned that the poultry imports from China, where the H5N1 and H7N9 remain uncontrolled would seriously affect the domestic animal husbandry industry and lead to immeasurable consequences

“Not only Vietnamese farmers, but consumers would suffer if they accidentally use sick poultry products,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tran Duy Khanh, deputy chair of the Vietnam Poultry Association said: “I protest against the policy on allowing to import Chinese poultry products to Vietnam through official channels at this moment.”

“Some traders may exploit the policy to turn imports through unofficial channels into imports through official channels. This will be just like bringing misfortune to our home,” he warned.

According to Khanh, about 3 million tons of poultry products are imported to Vietnam temporarily every year for re-export to China later. However, a large quantity of the products have been coming back to Vietnam for domestic consumption. These include consignments of products made tens of years ago. 

“This will poison consumers and may kill the Vietnamese animal husbandry industry,” Khanh said, adding that Vietnamese farmers have suffered from temporary imports for re-export later.

Nguyen Van Ngoc, representing the farmers in the east of the southern region, pointed out that the import of Chinese poultry products would ‘lend a hand’ to trade fraud.

“More waste chicken and dirty meat will flow to Vietnam,” he warned.

Khanh said that Vietnamese farmers do not fear healthy competition with Chinese products. What they fear is unhealthy competition, because waste products may be brought to Vietnam.

PLVN