(Bloomberg) — Vietnam is allowing imports of live pigs for slaughter for the first time as the country grapples with record prices of hogs and pork because of a resurgence of African swine fever, according to the agriculture ministry.
The Southeast Asian country has already increased imports of breeding sows and frozen pork in a bid to cool prices of the staple food for its population of more than 90 million. The wholesale cost of live hogs reached an all-time high of 103,000 dong ($4.42) a kilogram last week, threatening to fuel inflation.
“Prices have surged because of the scarcity of young sows after swine fever devastated herds last year,” said Nguyen Kim Doan, vice chairman of the Animal Production Association in Dong Nai province, the center of the industry. The ministry estimates sow numbers fell by more than 1.2 million last year.
Read full story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-29/vietnam-to-import-live-hogs-for-slaughter-to-cool-record-prices
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