The local livestock sector has lacked cooperation in production and consumption in the market, so economic efficiency is low. — Photo vacvina.org.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Viet Nam's livestock sector has many issues to resolve to improve competitiveness when the local market opens under international trade agreements in the coming time, according to experts.

Nguyen Thanh Son, director of the Livestock Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said to successfully integrate into the world economy, the local livestock industry must resolve the issues of poor sustainable development in the number and quality of heads of cattle and poultry products.

In addition, the sector has also lacked cooperation in production and consumption in the market, so economic efficiency is low, he stated.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Dang Vang, chairman of the Viet Nam Livestock Association, noted that the livestock sector must cut production costs. If it does not, it will not be able to compete with imported meat in the coming period because imported meat will benefit from low production costs and low tariffs under future trade agreements, and of course, meat importers will charge low prices, reported thoibaokinhdoanh.vn online newspaper.

Tong Xuan Chinh, deputy director of the Livestock Department, said Viet Nam would sign many trade agreements in the future, including the TPP, AFTA and FTA with Australia, so the sector should make plans to deal with challenges posed by these agreements.

Initially, the sector should open the local market to imported products to avoid risks, Chinh remarked. When people start habitually using frozen meat products instead of fresh meat, the livestock sector should restructure itself to improve its competitiveness.

In the coming period, the sector should focus on processing poultry products. The sector should also stabilise the price of animal feed, produce a greater variety of cattle and poultry and apply advanced technology to production methods to reduce the prices of products.

The Livestock Department plans to encourage enterprises and research institutes to import and develop many varieties of meat for the local market, Chinh added. — VNS