Inside Vietnam
Car and steel producers are going to breed pigs
The Vietnamese pig population, which has been badly hit by African swine fever (ASF), is making a rapid recovery. This is reported by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Large industrial parties are investing heavily in pig farming. Vietnam was still the number 1 export destination for European pork in quarter 6.
Read this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits you
According to the report, 'only' 2020 pigs were culled because of ASF in 86.000. That is 1,5% of the number that was culled in 2019. Then the pig population was decimated by millions.
A lot more pigs
According to official figures from the Vietnamese government, the pig population in the first quarter was 11,6% higher than in the same period in 2020. Pork production grew slightly less strongly. According to the data, this increased by 7,5% to 1.02 million tons. The USDA expects a further recovery in production during the current year. Imports of foreign pork will therefore decrease.
Industrial companies see bread in pig production
The year 2020 was characterized by unprecedentedly high investments by companies in the pig farming sector. Even companies that were not active in livestock farming until then are attracted by the expected return prospects. One of Vietnam's largest automakers has invested in sites that will eventually produce 1,2 million pigs per year. A company affiliated with one of the country's largest steelmakers invested in farms to raise gilts for propagation. The sows of these companies can then realize a production of about 500.000 pigs per year.
The Dutch feed company De Heus is also involved in a strategic partnership with several other parties in newly built sow farms that have to accommodate about 27.000 sows.