Việt Nam imported 13,186 tonnes of pork in the first two months this year, a year on year increase of 150 per cent. — Photo baodautu.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam imported nearly 66,000 tonnes of meat in the first two months of this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Of which, pork imports reached 13,816 tonnes, an increase of 150 per cent over the same period of 2019. The largest pork import volume was from Canada, accounting for 33.06 per cent of the total pork imports. Following was Germany (accounting for 25.4 per cent), Brazil (16.1 per cent), Poland (15.8 per cent) and the US (7.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, the nation imported 12,459 tonnes of beef and 12,934 tonnes of buffalo meat during the first two months. All buffalo meat imports came from India and beef was imported mainly from the US, Australia and Canada.

It bought 26,656 tonnes of poultry meat from abroad in the first two months, mainly from the US, South Korea and Brazil.

In 2019, the country imported over 280,000 tonnes of meat, a year on year increase of 17 per cent, mainly from the US, South Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, Brazil and Canada.

Of which, pork imports reached over 67,000 tonnes, up 63 per cent year on year while the imports of poultry meat rose by 10 per cent to 145,000 tonnes compared to 2018.

According to the ministry, by the beginning of March 2020, the country had about 24 million pigs, 77 per cent of the total pigs before the African swine fever. The number of pigs in the country is expected to increase further from April. That helps ensure sufficient pork supply for domestic demand. — VNS