According to VNS, the programme is part of the agriculture sector’s strategy to develop a stable livestock raising industry as required recently by the Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai. The programme was created partly in response to the recent pig epidemic that occured in many of the country’s provinces.

Hoang Kim Giao, head of the Livestock Breeding Department, said that the pilot programme would be carried out before the ministry develops a raising model to be reproduced as a measure to increase the production of clean pork. If approved, the model will be implemented nationwide next year.

The pilot will cover aspects from the design and construction of breeding facilities to the breeding selection process to choosing suitable diets in accordance with each of the animal’s growing phases. Aspects like sanitation, environmental hygiene, disease prevention measures and safe production will also be part of the model.

The Livestock Breeding Department will issue certifications of safe production to farm owners and production units that meet the aforementioned criteria.

Because the project will face certain difficulties – since a large part of the country’s farmers have been raising livestock at small-scale levels – the first stage will only be implemented at large-scale farms. The deparment will later create a network between these farms and small farms whereby small-farm owners can visit and learn from these large-scale farm owners.

View the VNS story by clicking here.