MOIT last March stated that African swine fever (ASF) epidemic has affected the domestic supply. The ministry will instruct trade companies to import pork from countries not hit by the epidemic, including the US, Australia, South Korea and India.

It said trade companies would consider market supply and demand to estimate the amount of meat to import.

Agencies predicted that Vietnam may lack 500,000 tons of pork fot the 2020 Tet, or 20 percent of total demand.

Meanwhile, China has increased imports from Vietnam.

MOIT last March stated that African swine fever (ASF) epidemic has affected the domestic supply. The ministry will instruct trade companies to import pork from countries not hit by the epidemic, including the US, Australia, South Korea and India.

According to the General Department of Customs (GDC), in the first half of 2019, Vietnam imported 8,000 tons of pork and 142,190 tons of chicken.

Pork comes mostly from Brazil (40 percent of total imports), Poland (15-17 percent), Canada, the US and Australia. The pork import prices are between VND30,000 and VND460,000 per kilogram.

In addition to pork, Vietnam also imported$120 million worth of chicken, mostly from the US, South Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, Brazil and Russia.

The US is the biggest chicken exporter which exported 62,400 tons of products to Vietnam, worth $48.6 million. The import price is surprisingly low compared with the domestic price. Chicken wings, thighs and legs are priced at VND17,000-23,000 per kilogram only.

Meanwhile, MARD Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong at a conference discussing the implementation of the EVFTA warned that the Vietnamese market, with 100 million consumers, is a vast market for the EU’s meat. Once EVFTA takes effect, the livestock industry will be the biggest sufferer as it has to struggle to compete with cheap imports.

Dien Dan Doanh Nghiep reported that China has canceled the biggest ever pork consignment from the US, 14,700 tons, which it plans to get this year and next year.

Dao Quang Vinh, director of Vinh Anh Food predicted that the refused products may head for other markets, including Vietnam.

In Vietnam, the pork price is high because of African Swine Fever, at VND45,000 per kilogram. Meanwhile, US imports are priced at VND30,000 per kilogram.

“Consumers will be able to buy pork at good prices, but domestic farmers will suffer from cheap imports,” he said.

According to Ipsos, an analysis firm, the total heard of sows by June 2019 had dropped by 30 percent compared with the same period last year. Therefore, analysts do not think the pig livestock industry will recover soon in the time to come.

Twenty-four countries and territories meet standards to export their meat and meat products to Vietnam.

Kim Chi 

Imported pork dirt cheap, domestic livestock industry in danger

The amount of pork imported to Vietnam in the first four months of the year was six times higher than that in the entire year of 2018. The import price is VND5,000-7,000 per kilogram lower than the domestic price.

Big pork shortage looms over Vietnam

As of June 24 ASF had broken out in 60 of the country’s 63 provinces and cities, and more than 2.6 million pigs had to be culled, severely affecting the pork demand-supply balance.