Vietnam and Australia launch Pig Innovation Alliance to improve farmers’ livelihoods

With the support of Australia, the Biosecurity Pig Innovation Alliance is an important step towards a safe and sustainable future for the pig farming industry in Vietnam.

The launching event of the Australian-Vietnamese Biosecurity Pig Innovation Alliance brought together researchers, policy makers, as well as businesses and farmers. (Photo: Embassy)

On 26 June, the Biosecurity Pig Innovation Alliance was established to protect the pig farming industry in Vietnam. This is the result of cooperation between the Australian Government’s Aus4Innovation Program and the Institute of Animal Husbandry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam with the aim of promoting innovation in pig farming.

Also at the event, research results on the vulnerability of small-scale pig farmers to disease and biosecurity risks, such as African swine fever, were shared with stakeholders.

The need to strengthen the ability of the Vietnamese pig farming industry to combat African swine fever is becoming extremely urgent. Since 2019, this disease has caused a lot of damage, especially to small-scale farmers who currently account for 99.8% of the industry, mainly due to the failure to properly and adequately implement biosecurity measures.

The formation of the Alliance and the results from the above research demonstrate a commitment to strengthening biosecurity as a frontline defense against African swine fever and other diseases.

The research is a collaboration between the Institute of Animal Husbandry, Australia's national science agency - CSIRO and Charles Sturt University (Australia) to identify biosecurity challenges and seek innovation opportunities at the smallholder level.

Using a multi-dimensional approach, the study collected data and assessed gaps in prevention and resilience to African swine fever in the pig value chain.

At the event, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski emphasized the need for this partnership: “The launch of the Biosecurity Pig Innovation Alliance is an important step towards a safe and sustainable future for the pig industry in Vietnam. Adopting innovative biosecurity practices is not only key to improving farmers’ livelihoods, but also ensuring the resilience of the food supply chain and helping to manage environmental impacts.”

According to Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski, Australia's financial and technical support for the Alliance once again demonstrates Australia's commitment to being a reliable partner of Vietnam in the fields of innovation and science and technology, thereby strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Dr. Kim Wimbush, CSIRO Counsellor in Vietnam and Director of the Aus4Innovation Program, shared about Aus4Innovation's support plan for the Alliance: "Through the Aus4Innovation program managed by Australia's national science agency - CSIRO, we have a comprehensive strategy to support the Alliance including financial support, providing experts, research consulting and related implementation activities. In addition, we will also facilitate and promote interactions between Alliance members and other factors in the innovation ecosystem to successfully commercialize research results between Vietnam and Australia."

Sharing the same views, Dr. Pham Cong Thieu, Director of the Institute of Animal Husbandry, emphasized: “The launch of the Alliance marks a positive step forward in improving Vietnam’s pig farming standards. On the other hand, the research we have just conducted has also provided important input materials to help develop tools for assessing vulnerability and resilience, contributing significantly to the common effort in protecting the pig farming industry."

The study, conducted on 160 pig farming households in three provinces of Ha Nam, Hoa Binh and Bac Giang, found that Hoa Binh province was at higher risk of infection than the other two. The analysis also showed that the proportion of pig farming income in total household income was inversely proportional to the susceptibility to infection. The study provided foundational findings for future biosecurity policy and practice development.

The launch of the Biosecurity Pig Innovation Alliance and its research findings mark a significant step forward in addressing the biosecurity challenges facing Vietnam’s pig sector. They also pave the way for innovative solutions and policies to ensure the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, promote food safety, and enhance the sector’s resilience to disease.

The above alliance and research are implemented within the framework of the Aus4Innovation Program, a 10-year program (2018-2028) with a total budget of 33.5 million AUD to strengthen Vietnam's innovation system towards sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development.

The program is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, co-funded and managed by CSIRO - Australia's national science agency, with strategic partner being the Ministry of Science and Technology of Vietnam.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-va-australia-ra-mat-lien-minh-doi-moi-sang-tao-trong-chan-nuoi-lon-nham-cai-thien-sinh-ke-nong-dan-276403.html