Customers buy pork at a supermarket in Ha Noi. The domestic pork price is expected to reduce soon after the Government decided to import 100,000 tonnes of pork this year.

Viet Nam will likely import 50,000 tonnes of pork from Russia this year, said Deputy Minister of Agricutlure and Rural Development (MARD) Phung Duc Tien during his visit to the northern city of Hai Phong to inspect the quarantine and customs clearance of pork imports on Tuesday.

Since early this year, Viet Nam has imported about 50,000 tonnes of pork through ports in Hai Phong, HCM City and Da Nang, mainly from Canada, Brazil, Germany, Poland, the US and Russia.

The increasing import of pork aims to stabilise the domestic price, which has accelerated since last year due to the outbreak of African swine fever on local herds of pigs.

The above imported volume of pork was three times higher than the same period last year and accounted for 50 per cent of the Government’s target of importing 100,000 tonnes of pork in 2020.

Tien said the import of pork through Hai Phong Port has been carried out in the shortest time.

“MARD has directed local departments of animal health to process administrative procedures on quarantine and quality control for the import of pork, creating best conditions for the import of pork according to the Prime Minister’s guidelines,” Tien said.

Viet Nam has approved 24 countries to export meat and poultry products to Viet Nam, of which 19 countries are allowed to export pork and pork products.

The average price of pork imported from these countries to Viet Nam’s ports is about US$2.5 per kilo, equivalent to VND60,000 (US$2.2).

Tien said the imported pork has met EU standards on quality and a very competitive price on the Vietnamese market. — VNS

Pork imports soar by over 300 percent: statistics

Vietnam imported more than 46,402 tonnes of pork and related products as of April 13, rocketing over 300 percent from the same period last year, according to the Department of Animal Health.

Animal feed supply sparks concern about pork shortage

CP Vietnam, the largest animal husbandry company, says that animal feed supply could run out by the end of May.