Dong Nai farmers are anxious to see the price of live pigs not "compete" with the price of breeding pigs, is there a strange move?

Many pig farmers in Dong Nai are happy again as the price of live pigs is at a high level. However, diseases, feed prices and especially piglet prices are still putting pressure on profits if the herd is increased or rebuilt.

Farmers excited about rising pork prices

While many people have been focusing on selling pigs before Tet, in Thua Duc commune (Cam My district), Mr. Tran Thanh Viet is maintaining a herd of over 70 pigs. At this time, he is actively taking care of the pigs, limiting people from entering and leaving the barn to ensure disease safety.

Mr. Viet said he was very excited when the price of pork continued to increase after Tet. The price of pork is high but not everyone has the conditions to increase or restore their herd.

Many farmers are happy because the price of live pigs is remaining high. Photo: Nguyen Vy

If the price of pigs remains stable at a high level, each pig sold can bring him a profit of 2.5-3 million VND. Mr. Viet estimates this profit based on raising piglets from birth to adulthood, instead of buying breeding pigs.

"The price of animal feed and pig breeding is quite high. These factors put pressure on the profits of small-scale farmers," Mr. Viet shared.

According to Mr. Phan Van Duc - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thua Duc Commune (Cam My District), the scale of pig herds in local households is still modest after the impact of African swine fever. Pig farming is still recovering slowly, especially in small-scale farming households.

Currently, the rising price of pork has helped many people regain joy after a long period of difficulty in raising pigs. Local authorities still encourage households to maintain pig farming but must ensure environmental hygiene and disease prevention.

"Livestock regulations are getting tighter. The government regularly inspects and vaccinates livestock," said Mr. Duc.

After a period of high growth, peaking at 83,000 VND/kg, the price of live pigs is now showing signs of decreasing nationwide. Photo: Nguyen Vy

After a period of high growth, peaking at 83,000 VND/kg, the price of live pigs is now showing signs of decreasing nationwide. In the South, the price of live pigs has dropped to 78,000-79,000 VND/kg, losing the 80,000 VND/kg mark.

The reason for this price drop is believed to be due to increased supply, including imported pork, while domestic purchasing power has not increased as consumers have switched to other foods as substitutes.

The herd restoration plan must ensure effectiveness.

Mr. Ngo Thanh Tung, a farmer in Gia Tan commune (Thong Nhat district) said that the current price of live pigs can help farmers make a profit, but if they rush to restore their herds, it is not certain that it will be stable.

Pig prices are high, but piglet prices are even higher. Piglets weighing 8-10kg/head cost more than 2.5 million VND/head, twice as high as normal; larger pigs weighing about 20kg/head are even rarer and very difficult to order.

The current cost of raising pigs is not low, about 65,000 VND/kg. While livestock regulations are increasingly tightened, requiring farms to ensure disease safety and environmental hygiene. Mr. Tung chose to wait for the price of piglets to decrease before considering raising them again.

According to the Dong Nai Livestock Association, the price of live pigs has increased, but not all farmers have benefited because there is no source of pigs to sell.

Dong Nai Livestock Association recommends that people be cautious about massively restocking their herds at current market prices. Photo: Nguyen Vy

Currently, herd restoration and herd increase activities are facing difficulties due to high input costs and high disease risks. Especially, the source of piglets is scarce. Mr. Nguyen Kim Doan - Vice President of the Association said that the competition to restore and increase herds at this time is likely to increase costs. Besides, there are still potential disease risks.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong - Chairman of the Vietnam Livestock Association, after the pre-Tet sale, many livestock farmers have not had time to restock, causing a temporary shortage of supply, causing prices to increase.

Many localities with a tradition of livestock farming are tightening control procedures. Livestock farmers are forced to move out of areas where livestock farming is not allowed, and strict environmental management procedures are applied.

However, the purchasing power of the market is not high. Therefore, along with the impact of the epidemic, it is not excluded that psychological factors affect the market, pushing the price of live pigs up suddenly as recently.

Pork supply from large livestock companies is still guaranteed for the market. Photo: Nguyen Vy

Mr. Tran Lam Sinh - Deputy Director of Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Environment also said that, in addition to the impact of the epidemic, the implementation of the policy of relocating livestock facilities is also part of the reason affecting the supply of pork.

However, the supply is only locally deficient, mainly from farmers. Livestock companies still ensure pork supply for markets in and outside the province.

According to Mr. Sinh, the price of live pigs has increased but the price of piglets has increased even higher. Large livestock enterprises have piglets but rarely release them.

Because the company has the potential from the source of food to the breeding facilities. They will keep it to focus on internal herd restoration. Only when there is surplus will the company release it.

Therefore, farmers need to consider and not expand their herds massively according to market prices. At the same time, they must pay attention to environmental protection and disease control, the Dong Nai agricultural sector recommends.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nong-dan-dong-nai-sot-ruot-nhin-gia-heo-hoi-khong-dua-kip-gia-heo-giong-co-dong-thai-la-20250319152524859.htm