The recent Vietstock and Aquaculture Vietnam 2024 exhibitions, held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in HCM City, saw record-breaking attendance, attracting 13,624 industry professionals over three days.

Vietnam is ramping up efforts to increase its livestock product exports, targeting a value of 1-1.5 billion USD by 2025.

In a significant turn of events for 2023, Vietnam's lucrative livestock industry, worth an estimated $33 billion, has seen a dominant takeover by foreign corporations.

In Vietnam, there are about 28-29 million pigs, 2.3 million buffaloes, 6.7 million cows (including dairy cows), and 2.9 million goats and sheep. Livestock is the second largest greenhouse gas emission sector in agriculture.

These violations have had negative impacts on livestock growth and disease control in local animal husbandry.

According to recent statistics, local live hog prices rose about 30 per cent since the start of 2024.

The Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam (AHAV) has stated that this is not the appropriate time for the livestock industry and facilities to be subject to greenhouse gas stipulations.

Vietnam expects its agricultural export value to China to increase sharply this year, as China agrees to review regulations permitting official exports of poultry meat from Vietnam to this market.

About 6,000-7,000 pigs are being transported across the border daily, threatening domestic farmers' livelihoods.

Around a million farming households are incurring big losses as pig prices have dropped.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan asserts that the use of antibiotics for growth promotion in livestock has been prohibited in Vietnam. From 2026, their usage will be permitted only in specific cases under supervision.

The amount of live chickens imported illegally across the border has increased to 200,000 - 250,000 tonnes each year

After successfully organizing five livestock roadshows in July and August 2023, Vietstock livestock exhibition will take place on October 11-13 in HCM City.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong (China) has permitted several Vietnamese localities to resume exporting their poultry eggs to this territory, starting August 1.

Vietnam will develop disease-free areas for livestock and poultry breeding in the south to serve domestic consumption and exports, according to a newly issued decision signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang.

Vietnam is among the world’s top countries in total numbers of poultry and pigs, but the market is being gradually acquired by foreigners. About 8 million farming households have been weeded from the market.

Having to sell fowl and pigs below production costs, many farmers are crippled with debt. Even big players in the animal husbandry are incurring big losses.

Good news has come unexpectedly to two million farming households after two years of being in a whirl: animal feed prices have begun decreasing.

The VN Poultry Association (VIPA) has submitted a petition to Government calling for solutions to remove difficulties for the poultry farming and save farmers and enterprises from bankruptcy.