Animal feed prices have surpassed pig prices, causing farmers to suffer
Farmers are currently losing 1 million dong for every commercial pig raised. Photo: Thanh Nga.
The total pig herd in Ha Tinh province has dropped to approximately 389,000 heads. Many farmers are no longer interested in re-herding and several households have closed down the farm for months. For most livestock farmers, agricultural production and pig farming specifically have become extremely risky wagers.
Farmers only had to pay attention to the price of pigs in the past. However, the increasing prices of feed must now be taken into consideration when balancing investment. On the other hand, the growing threat of a complicated disease epidemic have resulted in many farmers suffering from heavy losses due to extensive investment in livestock production.
Mr. Van Hoan, owner of a livestock farm in Dai Dong village, Ky Van commune, Ky Anh district, said that his farm exports between 200 and 250 pigs to the market every month. With the current live pig price ranging from 47,000 to 48,000 VND per kilogram, farmers lose up to 1 million VND for every pork pig sold.
“We are trying to weather through this storm. However, if the selling price of pigs fails to recover and feed for pigs remains expensive by mid-2023, then many livestock farms are very likely to face bankrupcy”, Hoan said.
Due to the sharp decline in demand for re-herding, it is now very difficult to find markets for breeding pigs. As a result, sow farmers experience even greater losses.
According to a director of a 2,000-sow farm in Thach Ha district, raising a piglet from breeding to slaughter costs around 1 to 1.2 million VND. With the current low selling price at between 800 and 900 thousand VND/head, sow farmers lose from 200 to 300 thousand VND for every pig.
Furthermore, farmers have been reluctant to re-herd because of the expensive costs for bran as well as the risks of foot-and-mouth illness, blue ear disease, and African swine fever.
The total pig herd in Ha Tinh province has dropped to approximately 389,000 heads. Many farmers are no longer interested in re-herding and several households have closed down the farm for months. For most livestock farmers, agricultural production and pig farming specifically have become extremely risky wagers.
Farmers only had to pay attention to the price of pigs in the past. However, the increasing prices of feed must now be taken into consideration when balancing investment. On the other hand, the growing threat of a complicated disease epidemic have resulted in many farmers suffering from heavy losses due to extensive investment in livestock production.
Mr. Van Hoan, owner of a livestock farm in Dai Dong village, Ky Van commune, Ky Anh district, said that his farm exports between 200 and 250 pigs to the market every month. With the current live pig price ranging from 47,000 to 48,000 VND per kilogram, farmers lose up to 1 million VND for every pork pig sold.
“We are trying to weather through this storm. However, if the selling price of pigs fails to recover and feed for pigs remains expensive by mid-2023, then many livestock farms are very likely to face bankrupcy”, Hoan said.
Due to the sharp decline in demand for re-herding, it is now very difficult to find markets for breeding pigs. As a result, sow farmers experience even greater losses.
According to a director of a 2,000-sow farm in Thach Ha district, raising a piglet from breeding to slaughter costs around 1 to 1.2 million VND. With the current low selling price at between 800 and 900 thousand VND/head, sow farmers lose from 200 to 300 thousand VND for every pig.
Furthermore, farmers have been reluctant to re-herd because of the expensive costs for bran as well as the risks of foot-and-mouth illness, blue ear disease, and African swine fever.
Mr. Tran Hung, Director of Ha Tinh Sub-Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health, recommended businesses, cooperatives, farms and livestock households to maintain costs for disease prevention and control, with emphasis on vaccination, disinfection and sterilization of barns.
When infected cattle is detected, farmers must immediately report to the local authorities as well as veterinary agencies to promptly curb the outbreak. Farmers are cautioned against manually handling deceased animals in contravention of regulations, as this can lead to disease outbreaks and environmental pollution.
Ha Tinh province currently has 221 pig farms including 38 farms that raise at least 300 sow pigs. Farm pig raising accounts for over 60% of the total pig herd. Nine organic raising models for 300 pigs have been established across the province wth the support from Que Lam Group.