That is the opinion of Mr. Vo Quoc Cuong, deputy director of the Veterinary Subdivision of Region V (Department of Veterinary Medicine), speaking to the newspaper. Vietnamese culture around the issue of building facilities and disease-free areas in the central highlands.

Can you tell us how livestock farming in the central highlands has developed in recent years?

The Central Highlands has a total natural area of ​​over 5.46 million hectares, of which about 2.9 million hectares are used for crops, livestock and poultry. With favorable climatic and environmental conditions, plentiful fodder is available from cultivation, which is favorable conditions for the central highlands for the development of concentrated industrial-scale animal husbandry, which is associated with security. Pandemic.

The total stock of cattle and poultry in the central highland provinces has steadily increased over the years. By the end of the first quarter of 2023, there was a total herd of nearly 1.3 million buffalo and cows in the central highland provinces, an increase of over 295,000 head over the same period. The total pig herd was nearly 2.7 million head, an increase of 474,000 head. More than 34 million poultry, about 126,000 goats and sheep and about 273,000 honey bees.

In fact, livestock farming in the central highlands has gradually shifted from subsistence to factory farming in recent years. In the past, pigs for meat and breeding pigs had to be imported every year. In recent years, the central highlands have not only covered local consumption needs, but also supplied the markets in the central coast region and in Ho Chi Minh City every year. Ho Chi Minh City tens of thousands of tons of live meat. Originally, the central highlands were home to animals and animal products that were exported to a number of countries in the region such as Laos, Cambodia and China.

In Dak Lak province in particular, companies in Ho Chi Minh City sell about 30,000 tons of pork, beef, buffalo and live goats every year. In 2022 and the first three months of 2023, Greenfarm Asia Co., Ltd in Dak Nong exported almost 1,800 breeding pigs to Cambodia and over 700 to Laos. Hung Thang Loi Co., Ltd in Gia Lai exported 1,240 breeding pigs to Cambodia. Trung Nguyen Cattle Breeding One Member Company Limited (Gia Lai) exports over 2,700 breeding cows to Cambodia.

Two dairy farms, Vinamilk Da Lat (Lam Dong), have participated in the program to export dairy products to the Chinese market. The Nuti Dairy Farm in Gia Lai, owned by the Cao Nguyen Beef and Dairy Cow Breeding Company, is expected to export the first batch of dairy products to the Chinese market in May 2023 under the protocol signed on the same day. April 26, 2019 between Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and General Administration of Customs of China

Sir, livestock production has flourished in the central highlands in recent years. The issue of ensuring disease safety is very important. Therefore, in your opinion, the construction of areas and breeding facilities safe from animal diseases is important. How is it used?

The construction of disease-free animal production areas and facilities in accordance with Vietnamese regulations serves as the basis for building an animal product production chain, and disease-free regions and animal facilities in accordance with OIE standards are very important and necessary.

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has chaired and coordinated with municipalities to organize the formulation and submission to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval of the project “Establishment of animal disease-free breeding areas according to the standards of the Vietnamese government”. OIE” aims to both develop animal production to meet domestic demand and promote the export of animals and animal products.

There are currently 87 animal production facilities in the Central Highlands that have been certified disease free. In it there are 3 pig farms, 3 cow farms and 4 breeding chicken and broiler chicken farms, which have been certified as safe from disease, animals and animal products by the Ministry of Animal Health. These livestock farms are suitable for export.

The remaining 77 disease-free facilities are provided by the province’s livestock and veterinary sub-departments, ensuring the conditions to serve the domestic market.

Compared to the total herd of cattle and poultry in the region, the number of established disease-free breeding facilities is still modest and does not correspond to the inherent potential of the central highland provinces in animal husbandry development. Sustainable Agriculture.

So far, there is no district-level animal disease-free breeding area in the 5 central highland provinces, only one community-level disease-free breeding area has been established, namely the buffalo and cow breeding area in Phu Township (Ea Kar District, Dak Lak), with one indicator being the mouth – and mouth disease in buffalo and cows.

What are the bottlenecks in building disease-free areas and breeding facilities in the central highlands, sir?

The construction of disease-free livestock production areas and facilities is still limited for many reasons, mainly because small livestock farms are intertwined with concentrated livestock farms and family vaccination work. Livestock and poultry in households face many difficulties, especially in rural, remote areas and isolated areas, livestock without cages and a small veterinary unit.

At present, only livestock farms and farms are actively registering for the construction of disease-free facilities, private farms and farmers have no real interest in building disease-free facilities due to market prices. The market is unstable, the selling price of products from disease-free farms has not differed much from normal products, so farmers have not actively responded to register for the construction of safe breeding facilities. The whole epidemic.

Can you tell us about the experiences of some companies that have successfully established disease-free breeding facilities?

Initially, a number of companies in the Central Highlands qualified for domestic disease-free animal production facilities and gradually built and expanded them to meet the criteria for export under the Organization for Animal Health’s guidelines. world medicine. Companies have actively coordinated with veterinary authorities at all levels and relevant local units to develop plans and projects to establish disease-free animal production chains.

They have selected, assembled human resources and made appropriate arrangements for each stage of the disease and food safe production chain. From setting up steering committees and technical groups of the unit to assigning specific tasks to implement the contents of plans and plans well and effectively. Check, adapt, add to and complete the building of the infrastructure of each component in the disease-free production chain.

What are the responsibilities of people, businesses and government to create an epidemic-free area and facility?

In my opinion, companies and people must fully understand and comply with the provisions of the Veterinary Medicine Act; Strictly follow breeding biosafety and vaccination prevention measures.

Conduct surveillance, detect epidemics and promptly report them to local authorities and specialized veterinary management agencies. Register the construction of disease-free facilities in accordance with the provisions of the Veterinary Medicine Act, Livestock Farming Act, Government and Prime Minister’s documents.

As for local governments, the provincial people’s committees direct the people’s committees of districts, townships and related units to develop and implement plans and plans to build epidemic-free areas and facilities in the region. Consider setting up steering committees at all levels to establish disease-free production chains for export.

Animal production planning and development according to the production areas in connection with the processing, canning and product consumption markets. Promote the development of livestock farming, reduce small-scale livestock production. Organizing the implementation of disease prevention and control measures to ensure no outbreaks of diseases in livestock and poultry, particularly diseases and diseases of major diseases affecting animal trade and animal products, as recommended by the OIE.

“In restructuring livestock farming, central highland provinces need to strengthen the veterinary network and quarantine stations and checkpoints. Consolidate the grassroots veterinary network and provide training to improve professional skills for the entire animal system. In particular, knowledge of disease surveillance.” , biosecurity, ensuring the successful construction and maintenance of disease-free breeding areas, planning a system of stations and checkpoints for transport and quarantine. Animals in the region, especially around, the chain of building epidemic security to protect the region, the chain of disease security, the provinces also need to adopt many preferential policies to implement the development of disease-proof facilities.” Mr. Vo Quoc Cuong, deputy Director of the Veterinary Subdivision of Region V.

Thank you my Lord!