Build a biosafe livestock industry to meet export market demands

On June 16, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam held a meeting in Hanoi to summarize the implementation of various plans and projects for the prevention and control of highly pathogenic avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease and African swine fever across the country.

Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam, emphasized at the meeting that Vietnam is one of the world's largest livestock and poultry producers, with 31 million pigs and hundreds of millions of poultry. Therefore, animal disease prevention and control must be regularized and sustained, with no slack required.

Vice Minister Feng Dejin pointed out that several pressing issues remain, including the high prevalence of avian influenza virus; the coexistence of small-scale and centralized farming, which complicates epidemic prevention and control; weak vaccination efforts in remote areas; slaughtering and processing facilities that do not meet export standards; and inadequate infrastructure in breeding areas. These issues should be effectively addressed through incentive mechanisms, supportive policies, enhanced publicity and education, and strengthened supervision.

Vice Minister Feng Dejin also said that the achievements of various national prevention and control programs have laid an important foundation for building a modern, biosafe livestock industry, enabling it to have the ability to respond to epidemics and meet the needs of domestic consumption and export markets.

June 18, 2025