Live pig prices in some southern provinces now stand at VND42,000-44,000 per kilo, a sharp fall from VND52,000 a kilo just a few weeks ago, causing severe losses to farmers.
Live pig prices in some southern provinces now stand at VND42,000-44,000 per kilo, a sharp fall from VND52,000 a kilo just a few weeks ago, causing severe losses to farmers.
The live pig is now sold at VND46,000-48,000 a kilo in An Giang and VND45,000-46,000 in Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta, dropping VND4,000-5,000 per kilo against early this month.
Meanwhile, in Dong Nai, the province with the nation’s largest pig herd, prices have plummeted deeply to VND42,000 from VND52,000 per kilo after the management agency detected the use of prohibited antibiotics at many farms.
Nguyen Tri Cong, chairman of the Dong Nai Livestock Association, said: “I admit the use of weighting compounds is true but not so many farms have this practice. However, after this information is launched, consumers become afraid of having pork in their daily meals.”
Cong suggested the authorities take drastic measures to reduce the number of violated farms, helping the righteous farmers make livings with their career. He explained farmers use weighting components to satisfy local consumers’ preference for lean meat over fat.
Nguyen Xuan Duong, deputy head of the Husbandry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told the Daily that Decree 08/2011/ND-CP regulates the maximum penalty of VND40 million for food producers using weighting components, and even imprisonment of 3-5 years for severe violations.
However, the localities still have lax management, abetting the use of weighting components in pig farming. According to Duong, pig prices in the northern region has also dropped from VND52,000 to under VND50,000 a kilo.
(Source: SGT)
