VietNamNet Bridge – Supplies of meat are ensured from now until the end of the Lunar New Year Festival in January if there are no epidemics or severe climate changes.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Department of Breeding, said about 2 to 5 per cent of beef and chicken needs would be imported as usual.

This year, the amount will be a little higher - more than 100,000 tonnes.

"If we can maintain stable productivity and a large market share, the imported meat will not affect the domestic market," he said.

The breeding sector this year reported that poultry production was up by nearly 17 per cent, pork by 3 per cent and beef by nearly 5 per cent compared with the same period last year.

In recent months, Duong said meat prices had risen because small farmers supplied less.

Another reason was shortcomings in managing the market. "We have not created a supply chain connecting breeding, processing and supplying food."

He said that to prevent meat price fluctuations, farmers should be encouraged to be more professional. Farmers should keep up stable production, even if prices fell, said Duong.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News