On March 7, directing at the livestock sector briefing, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien asked the units to focus on growth, because this is the most critical factor in the livestock development strategy.

"It is necessary to be proactive, flexible, and drastic in implementing tasks in March and the coming months," said Mr. Tien.

According to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, the livestock industry needs to precisely identify the targets assigned by the Government, from which to set, check, and evaluate according to the criteria of "real thinking, real doing and real effectiveness." Only when closely following the reality the livestock industry can detect the bottlenecks and come up with a timely solution.

In the first months of 2022, the livestock industry faced many difficulties. The price of live pork decreased by an average of VND 6,000-8,000 per kilogram compared to before and during Tet; The price of animal feed increased by an average of VND 300 per kilogram, 7,900 cattle died due to severe cold.

The livestock industry is also affected by international fluctuations. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine caused corn (an important input material for animal feed) and gasoline to increase in price continuously. In addition, the Covid-19 epidemic is complicated, with the number of new infections per day reaching nearly 150,000.

The bright spot of the livestock industry in February 2022 is that the total herd of pigs increased by 2.9%, poultry by 2.0%, and cows by 0.9% over the same period in 2021. Only, there is a herd of buffaloes decreasing compared to last year.

Animal husbandry accounts for about 25% of the total agricultural value in the current agricultural structure. Along with seafood, livestock is an industry with many fiscal faces for growth.

In 2021, the livestock industry completed many goals, such as meat output of about 6.18 million tonnes, 16.7 billion eggs, and 1.3 million tonnes of milk. In 2022, the target set is 6.9 million tonnes of meat; 18.3 billion eggs; stabilize the pig herd after African swine fever, restructure the herd towards increasing the proportion of poultry and herbivorous cattle.

Highlighting the responsibility of livestock in contributing to socio-economic stability, Deputy Minister Tien asked the Department of Livestock Production and its affiliated units to focus on synchronously solving problems. As for animal feed, the Deputy Minister suggested finding alternative feeds and industrial feeds.

One of them is the use of black soldier flies. It is a non-harmful species distributed worldwide and does not carry pathogens like house flies. Black soldier fly larvae can overgrow. Their food is diverse, mainly substrates, from livestock waste to food waste and agricultural by-products.

The life cycle of black soldier fly larvae lasts 15 days. When they turn to the black pupa stage, they will be rid of pathogens, reduce odors and prevent contact with house flies. It is a nutritious source of animal feed, which can be used for many livestock such as pigs, chickens, ducks, shrimp, crabs, fish, eels, frogs.

Currently, many countries have used black soldier flies as a type of animal feed. Therefore, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien directed the Department of Livestock Production to urgently complete the assessment, soon recognize the black soldier fly, and produce it as a nutrient-rich feed for livestock. According to the survey, many localities have successfully raised this animal.

In addition, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized the importance of the original variety and directed to urgently organize the acceptance of the content of the original variety imported by some assigned units in 2021; develop a plan to inspect establishments producing and trading livestock breeds and livestock breed products; agreed with the Finance Department on the project to implement the livestock breeding program in 2022.

Applying science and technology to animal husbandry is the last issue mentioned by Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien. At the central level, he said that developing science and technology projects in the coming time should focus on practical value aspects, helping to improve the quality, production efficiency, economy, and people's lives.

Currently, the price of live hog for sale at the farm ranges from VND 50,000-54,000 per kilogram (in the North), VND 54,000-55,000 per kilogram (in the South), VND 53,000-55,000 per kilogram (in the Central Highlands), in some places the price dropped to about VND 49,000-50,000 per kilogram. The beef cattle price ranges from VND 85,000-95,000 per kilogram, cow milk price at VND 12,000-15,000 per liter, goat meat price at VND 90,000-110,000 per kilogram.

Prices of animal feed also have increased. Specifically: corn kernels: VND 9,000 per kilogram (up 12.5%); soybean meal: VND 16,000 per kilogram (up 17.65%); fish meal: VND 30,000 per kilogram, cassava chips: VND 6,450 per kilogram (up 11.0%); wheat bran: VND 7,000 per kilogram (up 3.0%); Extracted rice bran: VND 6,000 per kilogram (up 17.7%).

Translated by Ha Phuc