Vietnam imports over 700,000 tons of pork, a paradox in a major livestock-raising country

According to the Import and Export Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first nine months of this year, Vietnam imported 733,500 tons of meat and meat products, worth 1.44 billion dollars, an increase of 17.4% compared to the same period last year. Of this, pork accounted for more than half of the imported quantity, mainly from Russia, India, Brazil, the USA, Australia, and Poland. Russia is currently the largest supplier, accounting for over 60% of the frozen pork imported into Vietnam. Conversely, Vietnam's meat and meat product exports during the same period only reached a few tens of millions of dollars, a decrease compared to last year. Thus, the domestic pork market is heavily inclined towards imports, despite the domestic pork production reaching over 4.7 million tons per year. Domestic pork production reaches over 4.7 million tons per year. Photo: TL The average price of imported pork is about 20-30% cheaper than domestic pork. Frozen meat from Russia or Europe ...