African swine fever (ASF) shows the fact that Vietnam lacks of cold storage facilities

Speaking at a meeting in Hanoi on May 30, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai noted that ASF is complicated and unpredictable, inflicting severe damage on agricultural production, affecting residents’ lives, causing market instability and posing a high risk of supply and demand imbalance.  He pointed out that pork products are being sold at extremely low prices, due to reduced demand. However, in terms of supply and demand, if new herds of pigs are not being bred, the future pork supply in the next three to four months is uncertain.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said “One of the most urgent and effective solutions is to buy healthy pigs and stockpile frozen pork,” he said, adding that if supply dwindles in the next few months, frozen pork will be made available on the market. However, it would not be easy to store large volumes of pork due to the limited capacity and equipment at local firms. For example, Dong Nai  –  the country’s largest pig farming province does not even have a cold-storage warehouse that can meet the required standards.

Deputy Minister of Trade Hai stated that the solution would help prevent losses for farmers and secure the pork supply in the coming period, particularly before the next Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday. He suggested the Government should issue a policy that supports food processing firms, especially with the purchase of pigs and stockpiling of frozen pork.  Commercial banks are expected to offer loan packages with preferential interest rates.

Source: The Saigontimes