Viet Nam’s pig farming industry should be restructured in a sustainable and competitive manner with a focus on establishing production chains for farmers and businesses, a conference heard in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Deputy Director of HCM City Department of Industry and Trade said developing production chains is important for the pig farming industry.

He took HCM City as an example. The city has launched a safe pork production and supply chain in which each farmer or trader needs to have their pork certified as safe and with a clear origin by municipal authorities if they want to join the chain.

The chain will help farmers and traders better advertise their products and cut costs and help authorities trace pork origins more effectively, he said.

Dao Quang Vinh, director of a food company in Ha Noi, agreed. He urged more leading enterprises and co-operatives to join the chains. It is also necessary to explain the importance of joining the chains to farmers, he said.

During the event, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong mentioned small-scale farming with low productivity and lack of production and storage technologies as major challenges facing the domestic pig farming industry.

He stressed the need to expand organic farming while restructuring production methods, with priority given to launching pork production chains.

Other participants at the forum suggested ministries and sectors build a communications system to provide farmers and businesses with information about market demand to successfully develop pork production chains. — VNS