The HCMC Department of Industry and Trade yesterday announced that the implementation of its pork origin tracking project will be postponed until December 16 instead of 10 as per schedule because of technical problems.

Deputy Director of the department Nguyen Ngoc Hoa said that the IT application project requires all attendees from farms, slaughter houses and sellers to be provided with specialized equipment, which have been placed an order abroad.

In addition, the department needs time to transport, install and test the equipment. It has launched a hotline to solve problems while implementing the project.

Most modern distribution channels including supermarkets and convenience stores have attended the project with 346 selling spots accounting for 20 percent of the city’s pork market share. Only Metro and Vinmart have yet to register.

After the project is successfully launched at the modern distribution channel, the department will broaden it to wholesale markets to control 80 percent of pork volume sold at traditional markets in the city.

Sixty breeding establishments have joined the program with the maximum output of 10,000 pigs a day, meeting the pork demand of the entire city. The project has also attracted 18 slaughter houses comprising five in HCMC with the capacity of 5,000-6,000 pigs a day, meeting 70-75 percent demand.

SGGP