Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development released at a Tuesday online meeting showed 160,000 live cattle and poultry, nearly 44,000 chicken and duck eggs, and over 116,000 kilos of fresh meat were seized while being illegally imported into Vietnam in the first nine months of 2023.

According to the Vietnam Poultry Association, between 200,000-250,000 tonnes of fresh chicken were illegally imported into Vietnam every year through border paths.

Border guards in the northern province of Quang Ninh detained a Chinese man for transporting nearly 18,000 breeding chickens from China by sea via Tra Co into Vietnam on October 1.

Vice Chairman of the people's committee of the northern border province of Lang Son Luong Trong Quynh said that they had dealt with many illegal imports of fresh meat and live cattle and poultry, issuing fines of over VND 214 million and destroying tonnes of goods so far this year.

'Smugglers have used different means to avoid being caught by local authorities," Quynh said. "They're operating more at night through small mountainous paths. Many even attacked our staff after being found and chased after.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice head of the Department of Animal Health, Phan Quang Minh, said that the rise in illegal import of live animals and meat products posed the risk of disease spreading in the country.

"As local farmers have high demand for breeding chickens at the end of the year, smugglers transport large numbers from China, posing a high risk of disease transmission," Minh said.

Minh urged local authorities to take stricter measures to prevent such illegal imports. He also called for localities nationwide to update the number of cattle and poultry in their area for better management.

Source: Dtinews