Record high pork prices, breeding pigs 'follow' live pig prices, increase 3 times

Currently, the price of piglets is about 2.5 million VND/pig, nearly 1 million VND higher than last month and 3 times higher than about 1 year ago - Photo: MAU TRUONG

Western region pork prices hit record high

Currently, the price of live pigs in the Western provinces is increasing to a record high, surpassing 83,000 VND/kg, which is considered the highest price ever. This is considered a good sign for farmers, but it is also pushing the price of piglets to sky-high levels, making farmers consider restocking.

Compared to about a year ago, when it was only about 700,000 VND/pig, the current price of piglets has tripled, over 2.5 million VND/pig.

Mr. Le Van Muot, a farmer with decades of experience raising pigs in Ben Tre province, a locality with a herd of over 400,000 pigs, said that with a price of over 80,000 VND/kg, farmers earn a profit of over 3 million VND per pig when selling.

However, according to Mr. Muot, what worries pig farmers is that recently, along with the sharp increase in the price of live pigs, the price of piglets has also doubled, even tripled, compared to before. About a month ago, the price of piglets was only 1.8 million VND/pig, but now it has increased to 2.5 million VND/pig.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang (living in Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province) also had to stop re-herding after selling his herd of pigs because he could not find breeding pigs.

"To be more precise, the price of the breed is too high. The current suppliers of breeds in the province say they don't have any, while the source of breeds in Tien Giang province says the price is over 2.5 million VND per breed.

I don't know if the price of live pigs will fluctuate in the near future, but re-herding at this time is a bit risky. I have to wait a while before daring to continue raising pigs," said Mr. Thang.

In Tien Giang province, where there are more than 312,000 pigs, the price of live pigs is being purchased by traders at over VND82,000/kg and the price of breeding pigs has also increased from VND1.8 million/pig last month to VND2.5 million/pig.

According to a survey, the price of piglets in the Western provinces such as Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Long An... is currently fluctuating from 2.3 million VND to 2.5 million VND/pig, causing farmers to incur a large initial investment cost, so many farmers are hesitant to re-herd.

Dong Nai also has a pork fever

On March 6, in the livestock "capital" of Dong Nai, traders are purchasing live pigs at prices ranging from 81,000 - 83,000 VND/kg, an increase of about 4,000 VND/kg compared to last week.

According to the Dong Nai Livestock Association, pork prices increased before the Lunar New Year 2025 but only increased sharply after Tet. Live pigs after Tet cost 71,000 VND/kg but now have increased 12 times, to 83,000 VND/kg.

The continuous increase in live pig prices in recent times is due to a shortage of supply. The main cause is the outbreak of diseases, including acute diarrhea, which has caused great damage to the pig herd, leading to the current shortage of pork.

On the other hand, the hot increase in live pigs has also caused the price of piglets in Dong Nai to increase sharply and set a price record. Currently, piglets weighing 7-8kg/head are being sold at a price ranging from 2.4-2.6 million VND/head, nearly double the same period in 2024.

Although prices are high, supply is decreasing, so it is difficult to restore pig herds in a short time.

The live hog market is forecast to be difficult to cool down in the coming days because supply has not yet been restored.

According to the Dong Nai Livestock Association, this is not a time to encourage farmers to restock or increase their herds. Because the price of piglets is too high, the large investment cost will increase the production cost. Farmers restock massively when the price is high, but when it comes time to sell, the price of live pigs may drop.

In fact, after the price fever in 2020, farmers rushed to invest in pig farming, but after a while, supply exceeded demand, causing the price of live pigs to drop sharply, at times down to 40,000 VND/kg, causing farmers to suffer heavy losses.

In addition, the risk of disease in pig herds, especially African swine fever, still exists, which is why the association warns farmers to be careful when restocking and increasing herds during this time./.

According to Tuoi Tre

Source: http://tuoitre.vn/gia-heo-cao-ky-luc-heo-giong-an-theo-gia-heo-hoi-tang-gap-3-lan-20250306145325298.htm

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