With an annual growth of from 5-6%, Vietnam’s meat industry now produces enough to meet domestic demand, but has had trouble finding markets for export.

Currently, Vietnam ranks first in ASEAN and 12th in the world in productivity for animal feed. Almost all the most modern animal husbandry technologies have been imported into the country, which has helped drive up output and improve quality.

"One of the biggest challenges for the animal husbandry industry has been finding outlets. In the next few years, production in this sector is expected to not only meet domestic demand, but create a surplus,” said Hoang Thanh Van, director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Animal Husbandry.

Ngo Thanh Van, director of MARD’s Department of Animal Husbandry

Under the country’s strategy for the development of the industry through 2020, Vietnam will prioritise quality over quantity.

However, the country is currently facing difficulty to assuage food safety concerns in foreign markets. In some cases, certain banned antibiotics are still found in pork and chicken. Some producers use banned substances in animal feed production or during animal feeding process to increase productivity and increase profits in the short-term.

M. Gandhi, managing director of UBM ASEAN said, “If Vietnam wishes to export meat, it will be necessary to improve the control over use of antibiotics as well as comply with the food safety and biosafety regulations of importing countries.”

He noted that VIETSTOCK 2014, an industry conference to take place from October 15 to 17 in HCM City, would provide Vietnamese farmers and companies a chance to become familiar with the most advanced technologies in animal husbandry, as well as learn from the experiences of other regional countries in control methods for the use of antibiotics and certification procedures.

Better controls over antibiotic use needed  

The organising board will also prepare 14 Vietnam Animal Husbandry Awards for those who have made contributions to the industry’s development.

Concerning the antibiotics issue, Nguyen Xuan Duong, deputy director of the Animal Husbandry Department, said they considered monitoring and supervision over the use of banned substances in animal husbandry an ongoing process.

“We’re intensifying inspections in six localities with the highest risk, including Hanoi, Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa, HCM City, Dong Nai and Vinh Long. Supervision will focus on small-sized animal feed producers, with capacities of less than 15,000 tonnes per year,” Duong added.