Pork consumption is increasing, prices are expected to continue to be high

According to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Vietnamese people consume the fourth largest amount of pork in the world and this trend is increasing.

Vietnamese people are the 4th largest consumers of pork in the world.

At the Conference on Opportunities, Challenges and Solutions for Sustainable Development of the Pig Farming Industry held on April 3, a representative of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine said that by the end of the first quarter of 2025, the total herd would be 31.8 million heads (a decrease of more than 200,000 heads compared to January 1, 2025 (a decrease of 0.63%), but an increase of 3.2% compared to the same period in 2024.

Consume pork Vietnam's pork consumption has tended to increase in recent years. Specifically: in 2021 about 30 kg/person/year, in 2022 about 32 kg/person/year, in 2023 about 33.8 kg/person/year, in 2024 it is estimated to reach 37.04 kg/person/year (calculated by kg of meat/person/year). Vietnam ranks 4th in the world in terms of pork consumption.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien chaired the Conference. Photo: Khuong Trung.

About Pork price, first quarter of 2025 due to the market during the Lunar New Year, the demand for pork increased from January 2025. Until March 2025, there were times when the price of live pigs reached over 80 thousand VND/kg. However, this price only lasted for a short time and has now gradually decreased.

The reason given by the Department is due to African swine fever, tightening of smuggled goods, many localities across the country have reviewed and planned to relocate or stop the operation of farms that do not meet the breeding conditions. In addition, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine also said that the increasing demand for pork consumption of people is also one of the reasons for the increase in pork prices.

"In 2023, Vietnam ranked 6th in the world in pork consumption, but in 2024, pork consumption increased by 2 places and ranked 4th in the world," the Department explained.

Pig price forecast

According to Mr. Le Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director, Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development, pig price is expected to remain high. However, it is unlikely to increase dramatically if disease prevention is well implemented. In addition, the market can be regulated by the amount of imported pork (currently imported mainly from Russia, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, etc.).

Pork prices are forecast to remain high. Photo: Phuong Anh.

"Vietnam's export turnover of processed pork products is still limited, mainly processed suckling pig products and frozen whole suckling pig products. Import turnover is not much (about 292 thousand tons in 2024, reaching 460 million USD), so the domestic market is expected to be less affected because the impact factor from the international pork market has not fluctuated much," Mr. Hoa added.

In the coming time, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine will continue to invest in Science and Technology, innovation to increase productivity, quality, enhance value, reduce costs to enhance competitiveness. In particular, develop a national brand of native pigs with distinct quality and value. Implement digital transformation, direct localities to supervise and monitor the implementation of accurate livestock declarations as a basis for market and product forecasting and forecasting.

At the same time, strengthening the construction of linkage chains, replicating new livestock production - slaughter/processing/deep processing - distribution linkage chain models to help the industry develop towards efficiency and sustainability.

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