Chicken farmers in Dong Nai Province, the country's key poultry farming area, are racking up heavy losses driven by the steep chicken price fall.
Chicken farmers in Dong Nai Province, the country’s key poultry farming area, are racking up heavy losses driven by the steep chicken price fall.
Duong Anh Tuan, director of Binh Minh Farming Company based in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, said the price of white feather chicken at the farm in the last 15 days had ranged from VND15,000 to VND18,000 per kilo, way below the production cost of VND25,000.
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| A chicken farm in Thong Nhat district. |
The previous price was VND25,000-26,000 per kilo and VND22,000-25,000 in the same period last year.
The price of chicken with color feather at the farm is VND24,000-25,000 per kilo while the production cost is VND35,000-36,000.
Nguyen Thanh Phi Long, technical director of Thanh Binh Farming Company, said the price of white feather chickens before Tet (Lunar New Year) sold for VND27,000-28,000 per kilo but their price dipped to VND22,000-25,000 shortly after Tet and VND15,000-17,00-19,000 in the last 10-15 days while production cost is VND24,000-25,000.
Nguyen Van Ngoc, vice president of the Southeast Husbandry Association, said his chicken farm in Dong Nai was closed as prices slid to VND13,000-15,000 per kilo.
Farmers have ascribed the dismal market conditions to the weak post-Tet chicken demand and the rising concern about a possible bird flu outbreak. Besides, low chicken import prices have made matters worse.
Vietnam mainly imports chicken legs, feet and by-products from the U.S., Korea and China at VND13,000-15,000 per kilo to meet the huge demand of factory and school canteens.
(Source:SGT)
