Pig prices increase sharply, farmers cautiously restore herds

Recently, the price of live pigs has been continuously "skyrocketing", at times reaching over 8 million VND/100 kg, the highest level since the beginning of 2021. At this price, farmers make a profit of about 2-3 million VND/100 kg of pigs. However, farmers are hesitant to restore their herds due to many factors.

Pork prices are high, consumers are limiting their purchases, leading to reduced consumption, so meat stalls in the markets are in a state of sluggishness.

What has never happened in previous years is that since after Tet until now, the price of live pigs in the market has continuously increased, and farmers have no pigs to sell.

Many people believe that the reason is due to the increased investment costs from animal feed to veterinary medicine and breeding animals, along with the frequent occurrence of African swine fever (ASF), so people are cautious when restocking. Since then, the shortage of supply has pushed up pork prices.

According to a report from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, since the beginning of the year, there have been 6 outbreaks of ASF in 5 communes and 1 town in 3 districts, with a total of 131 pigs infected and destroyed, weighing 6,758 kg. There are currently 5 outbreaks (in Tran Van Thoi town, Khanh Binh Tay Bac commune, Tran Hoi commune, Viet Thang commune and Nguyen Phich commune) that have not passed 21 days, with the potential for an outbreak at any time, especially during hot weather like now.

In addition, regulations on prohibited livestock farming areas in inner cities, towns, and residential areas in the province are increasingly tightened. Therefore, many livestock farming households in areas where livestock farming is not allowed have to stop, significantly affecting the supply of live pigs to the market.

In particular, in 2024, the whole province had 27 outbreaks of ASF, causing the number of infected breeding sows to decrease severely, and many households had to abandon their pigsty because they did not have breeding pigs or the price of breeding pigs was too high.

According to statistics from the Provincial Statistics Office, as of January 1, 2025, the total herd of pigs in the province was only 99,975, a sharp decrease compared to the same period last year.

According to Mr. Truong Minh Ut, Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, in reality, the number, scale and efficiency of livestock and poultry farms in the province are still limited compared to other localities in the region. Currently, the province has 35 livestock farms, including 19 pig farms with a scale of 1,000-7,000 pigs/batch, so the supply to the market is always in short supply.

According to Mr. Ut, due to the limitations of livestock farming, the livestock sector has not received much attention from businesses investing in Ca Mau province. Currently, over 50% of livestock and poultry products and livestock and poultry meat consumed in the province must be imported from elsewhere.

Mr. Tran Van Tam, a pig farmer in Ward 8, Ca Mau City, shared: “We don’t know how the price of live pigs will increase or decrease in the coming time, but restocking at the present time is very risky. Because the price of piglets is currently at 1.8-2.2 million VND/pig weighing about 10 kg, and it is also scarce; if the piglets weigh more, the price will increase by 100 thousand VND per kilogram; on average, the increase is about 500-800 thousand VND/pig, causing farmers to have to bear a large additional investment cost, so many farmers are afraid to restock. As for me, I will wait a while before continuing to raise pigs.”

The high price of piglets not only causes difficulties for farmers but also affects the meat supply in the coming time, because if farmers are hesitant to restore their herds, the number of pigs sold in the coming months will decrease, leading to an imbalance in supply and demand and unstable prices.

To support livestock farmers, authorities and local governments need to further strengthen price stabilization solutions and regularly inspect to avoid speculation.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Giau, a pork vendor at Ward 8 Market, Ca Mau City, said: “The retail price of pork at the market remains around 100-170 thousand VND/kg depending on the type. Normally, my stall sells 1 pig, nearly 100 kg of various types of meat, each day, but recently the price has increased, customers are sparse so I don't dare to buy much. This price has lasted for many days now and shows no signs of cooling down, so we just want the price to be stable and easy to buy and sell.”

To ensure effective herd restoration and avoid the risk of disease outbreaks, Mr. Truong Minh Ut recommends: Farmers should not re-herd indiscriminately; increase barn hygiene, use livestock equipment, spray disinfectants, and ensure barns are always clean and airy to prevent pathogens. In addition, people should buy breeding stock from reputable establishments with clear origins and guaranteed quality; absolutely do not buy floating breeding stock without verifying the origin./.

Middle Peak

Source: https://baocamau.vn/gia-heo-tang-nong-ho-nuoi-de-dat-tai-dan-a37916.html