Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong Welcomes Major Investment in Great-Grandparent Pig Farming in Central Highlands

 Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Calls for Livestock Development in Central Highlands

Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak – At a dialogue conference between the Prime Minister and farmers held yesterday (September 28) in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak province, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong emphasized the significant potential for livestock development in the Central Highlands.

"The Central Highlands can absolutely develop livestock. Therefore, provinces must reallocate and balance the structure between animal husbandry and cultivation. We have 2.5 million tons of cassava and 1.5 million tons of corn; why aren't we investing in livestock development?" Minister Cuong questioned.

The conference, themed "Joint efforts, overcoming challenges, sustaining growth of Vietnamese agricultural product value to foster prosperous agriculture, wealthy farmers, and civilized, modern rural areas," was co-hosted by the Vietnam Farmers' Union Central Committee, the Dak Lak Provincial Party Committee, and the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee. The event was organized by Nông thôn Ngày nay/Dân Việt online newspaper and chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

During the dialogue session on agricultural issues in the Central and Central Highlands regions, Mr. Pham Van Chu, a farmer from Buon Brieng, Ea Nam commune, Ea H'Leo district, Đắk Lắk province, posed a pertinent question.

He highlighted that beyond key crops, the Central Highlands possesses immense potential for livestock development, citing the recent 1,500 billion VND investment by Hung Nhon Group and De Heus Group (Netherlands) in the DHN Đắk Lắk High-Tech Agricultural Complex, which includes the largest high-tech pig farm in Đắk Lắk province.

Mr. Chu then asked the Prime Minister: "Considering this livestock project, what policies will the Government implement to promote livestock farming across the entire region? Also, will there be mechanisms for farmers to cooperate and participate in the enterprises' livestock value chains?"

He also raised a second critical issue: "Following the African Swine Fever epidemic, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, pig farmers are facing significant difficulties in repopulating their herds. I hope the Prime Minister will direct ministries and sectors to address these challenges and help livestock farmers quickly restore production."

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Addresses Central Highlands Livestock Potential and Post-ASF Recovery

Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak – Responding to farmer Pham Van Chu's questions at the dialogue conference, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong affirmed that the issues raised were highly relevant. He acknowledged that while the Central Highlands is a vast region with immense potential, its livestock sector has not yet developed commensurately, lagging behind the national average.

Current Livestock Figures and Potential

Preliminary statistics show that the entire Central Highlands region currently has only 3 million pigs, 25 million poultry, and approximately 1 million head of large livestock. In stark contrast, the country as a whole boasts 25 million pigs and 500 million poultry, with Bac Giang province alone having tens of millions of poultry.

Minister Cuong emphasized, "The Central Highlands is fully capable of developing its livestock industry. Therefore, provinces must reallocate and balance the structure between animal husbandry and cultivation. We have 2.5 million tons of cassava and 1.5 million tons of corn; why aren't we investing in livestock development?" He highlighted the move towards a circular economy, where livestock waste serves as input for crop production, while livestock farming itself generates high income value.

Encouraging Large-Scale Investment

The Minister welcomed the recent groundbreaking by De Heus Group and Hung Nhon Group for their 1,500-head great-grandparent pig farm project, which applies high technology. He believes this project will serve as a driving force for Dak Lak in particular and the Central Highlands in general.

The government is also urging major enterprises like TH True Milk and Dabaco to actively research and invest in the Central Highlands to achieve a balanced development of livestock and cultivation in the region.

Support for Post-ASF Repopulation

Regarding support for herd repopulation after the African Swine Fever (ASF) epidemic, which severely reduced the national pig herd, Minister Cuong stated that the government has provided over 7.6 billion VND in aid to farmers. He affirmed this as a significant show of concern from the government. However, to expedite farmers' ability to repopulate their pig herds, he urged provincial authorities to also provide practical support to the local communities.

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