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Businesses are at the forefront of developing environmentally friendly livestock farming.

According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Dat, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Livestock Association, there is a need for policies to support research and investment in technologies that can reduce emissions in livestock farming while bringing economic benefits to farmers.

(News Portal – Dong Nai) - In the Livestock Development Strategy for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision towards 2045, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has set the direction for the livestock sector to develop in an economically circular manner, reusing livestock waste, quickly addressing environmental pollution, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and transitioning to green energy. Through these efforts, the livestock industry aims to contribute to the formation of a low-emission agriculture sector, in line with the government's goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
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Pig farming in Thong Nhat District 

The livestock sector is actively exploring models and solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many large corporations and businesses in the livestock industry have shown interest and implemented various measures to reduce emissions while promoting sustainable development.

Livestock farming contributes significantly to emissions

Vietnam is actively pursuing a green transition towards sustainable development and has set a target to achieve Net Zero by 2050. The agriculture sector, including livestock farming, is required to reduce carbon emissions. Among them, the livestock industry is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions that needs to undergo transformation.

Livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions come from two main sources: methane gas from the ruminant animals' enteric fermentation and CH4 and N2O gases from animal waste. On October 10, 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Decision No. 2626/QD-BTNMT, which publicly announced the emission factor inventory to assess greenhouse gases. According to the decision, among the ruminant animals that emit methane gas from enteric fermentation, dairy cows emit the most, approximately 78 kg of CH4 per cow per year, followed by buffaloes with approximately 76 kg of CH4 per cow per year, and beef cattle with 54 kg of CH4 per cow per year. As for pig farming, a pig emits over 4.8 kg of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of meat. Considering the average weight of a standard pig at 90 kg, one pig emits around 438 kg of CO2 equivalent when it reaches the market weight. Specifically, with an average scale of 3,000 heads of pigs, industrial pig farming would emit approximately 3,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. Therefore, industrial livestock farming is one of the significant contributors to environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in Vietnam.

The results show that greenhouse gas emissions from cattle and pig farming consistently account for the largest share of total emissions in the livestock industry. Methane emissions from animal waste occur under anaerobic conditions in biogas chambers or in poorly ventilated areas with a large amount of animal waste. Therefore, the largest methane emissions are often associated with concentrated livestock animals that require a significant amount of water for cleaning, such as pig farming. Greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector have been increasing over the years.

According to Nguyen Tri Cong, Chairman of the Dong Nai Livestock Association, the livestock industry currently emits a substantial amount of carbon, including agricultural by-products. Dong Nai province is highly committed to implementing measures to reduce emissions in livestock farming. Several corporations and businesses in the province have shown interest in implementing various solutions to reduce emissions in livestock farming. This is the main reason why the Dong Nai Livestock Association organized a seminar to find solutions and make recommendations for sustainable livestock farming, focusing on in-depth measures to reduce emissions in livestock farming.

Active participation of businesses

In general, the development of green agriculture, particularly the implementation of emission reduction in livestock farming, is a global trend. Currently, there are many solutions to reduce emissions in livestock farming, such as improving animal nutrition, using bio-gas technology for waste treatment, collecting and producing organic fertilizers, and establishing safe livestock chains.

One of the solutions that many businesses are interested in is the excessive use of crude protein in animal feed. However, if crude protein is not effectively utilized and the animals cannot digest it, it will be released into the environment. According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hai, representative of Cj Feed Ingredient Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Ho Chi Minh City branch), limiting the amount of protein in the feed contributes to reducing carbon emissions into the environment. That is why the Ministry of Agriculture of South Korea previously introduced regulations to set a minimum limit for protein in animal feed. However, after signing the agreement to achieve Zero Carbon, South Korea changed the law to set a maximum limit for protein. "We can apply a low-protein diet while ensuring the productivity of the animals and reducing emissions. This is one of the solutions we can take to achieve the Net Zero goal by 2050," Mr. Hai emphasized.

Also concerned about environmental protection, Mr. Nguyen Lam Thanh Son, representative of C.P. Vietnam Corporation (Bien Hoa City), stated that due to the high emissions caused by crude protein, the company has been implementing precision nutrition for many years. The company also applies energy-saving machinery and equipment, and has almost completely phased out the use of coal in the production process. CP's livestock farms have also implemented biogas technology for waste treatment. The company's plan is to plant 1.5 million trees in the "CP for a Green Vietnam" program. Currently, they have achieved 66% of the plan, with 0.5 million trees planted in the company's farm system. ​

Author: Song Le

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