Better co-operation between farmers, businesses and buyers is improving product quality in the animal husbandry industry in Việt Nam.— Photo cafef.vn

HCM CITY — Better co-operation between farmers, businesses and buyers is improving product quality in the animal husbandry industry in Việt Nam. 

Dr. Võ Trọng Thành, of the Animal Husbandry Department, said that over the last 10 years Việt Nam had seen a 15 – 20 per cent increase in output of animal products, an indication that the industry’s farming capability has improved.

Speaking at a conference on high-quality farming of animal products in HCM City yesterday, Thành said that about 30 per cent of animal farm facilities had switched to more industrial and professional methods.

In addition, favourable government policies, such as financial aid for land rental and equipment purchases, have encouraged animal husbandry development.

More firms such as Vissan, Dabaco and Vinamilk are working with farmers, providing high-quality animal feed, medicine, and advanced farming techniques to ensure quality and product traceability.

The companies’ distribution networks are also buying more products from farmers.

Dr. Michael Patching of Meat & Livestock Australia said that consumers today wanted consistently fresh and hygienic products from trustworthy sources, and were willing to pay more for such products.

"Creating high-quality supply chains with product traceability is crucial to satisfying consumer demand for healthy food," said Nguyễn Trí Công, director of Đồng Hiệp Service, Production and Processing Co-operative in Đồng Nai Province.

The co-operative helped farmers process and transport goods in a safe way, and connected them with buyers, he said.

Thành said the ability to control supply and demand in the animal husbandry industry, however, was still limited, causing prices to often fluctuate.

Many farming and processing facilities still do not conform to health standards, and connections between firms and farmers need to be improved.

Competition from foreign goods and the threat of disease are also challenges for the industry to overcome.

Over the next 10 years, the number of professional farms are expected to increase, and the output of these farms is expected to account for 70-75 per cent of all animal products, according to Thành.  

Meanwhile, the number of small farming households are projected to fall by 5-7 per cent annually.

The animal husbandry industry is striving for higher quality standards and increased domestic sales and exports to ASEAN, the Middle East, Japan, China and South Korea.

“Focusing on value chains is key to quick and sustainable growth of Việt Nam’s animal husbandry,” Thành said.

Công called for more favourable policies that would promote advanced technologies and help farmers adhere to quality standards.

More trade promotion and networking events will also benefit farmers and increase sales, while improving public awareness to encourage consumption of produce with clear origin is also important, according to Công.

During the conference, Meat & Livestock Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with the Animal Husbandry Association of Việt Nam to develop the production and processing of chilled beef.

Đồng Hiệp Co-operative signed an MoU with pig farmers in Đồng Nai, promising co-operation and purchasing.

Organised by Agritrade, Argotrade and Animal Husbandry Association of Việt Nam, the conference was part of the 2018 Vietstock international exhibition, which is being held from Oct 17-19 to promote goods in animal husbandry, fishery, food processing and other industries. – VNS