The drop in price of pig causes farmers full of hardships.

the pig farm of Mr. Nguyen Tri cong in Thien Tam commune, Vinh Cuu village

The price of the pig has been at high for 4 years (2001-2005). As a result, many farmers have invested heavily in raising pigs and many of them have become rich. However, the big drop in price of pig in the last two month has made the pig raisers worry. Ms. Pham Thi Thue, a small household breeding the pig in An Vien commune, Trang Bom district complained “I find that raising pig has become more difficult this year. The price of mash has increased but the price of the pig has reduced. Each pig has just been sold at a loss over 100,000 VND”. Her family has raised 2 female pigs and 40 pigs raised for food and the recent turn sold only 14,000 VND/ kilo. She said that because of raising female pig, her family did not pay for the breeding pigs. Thanks to that, she has not lost 250,000 VND. Nguyen Thi Lan, her family special in raising porkers in Thua Duc commune, Cam My district gave up pig farms because she could not stand the loss. The end of 2005, when the price of the pig was 20,000 VND/ kilo, her family collected the capital into building pig farm and the early of 2006, raised 50 porkers. The first litter of pig has been sold at the time the price of the pig fell down 17,000/ kilo, breakeven price. She hoped that the next litter would increase but her desire did not come true as she expected. She said, “at the time, the pig are prepared for selling, Cam My district announced the foot and mouth epidemic. Her family was afraid that they could not sell these pigs. When the province announced that the epidemic was over, her family felt relieved at the same time the price of the pig reduced too much. The dealers sometime paid only 13,500 VND/ kilo and the raisers were forced to sell. Consequently, after she had sold all the heard of pig, her family sold at a loss 13 million VND. 

The current big drop in price of pig made not only small pig farms lost but also large pig farms. According to the statistics of pig raisers, due to high input expenses the price of pig should be 18,000 VND per kilo as and 17,000 VND per kilo for lean pork. This will be breakeven price for pig raisers. Mr. Lam Thanh My, a pig farmer raising 800 pigs at Hiep Hoa commune Bien Hoa city said, with this price of the pig, he sold at a loss 15 million VND at each litter of the pig exposed about 100 pigs. Another one, Dinh Van Linh raising 800 pigs at Trang Dai ward lost 20 million. In recent days, the price increased about 500 VND/ kilo but many great pig farmers were unhappy but afraid of the pig farms retaining and waiting until the price is increased to sell. That will make the price of pig continue to go down.

According to pig farmers, the reason leading to the low price is due to the over-supply of pig to the market. Besides, the recent foot and mouth disease and a large number of the pig sold in north and central areas to avoid rainy season have had low the price of the pig. The director of Thanh Binh domestic livestock company ltd, Ta Trung Linh, said that it was very difficult for the price to get back higher. “The price will become lower next month because this year is the leap year of lunar calendar. And July of lunar year is the vegetarian month so the mount of pork has not been consumed so much. From now to the lunar new year, in case the price gets higher, 17,000 VND to 18,000 VND per kilo it is high” Mr. Linh said, four years ago, the price reduced over breakeven price and lasted during a year made the pig farmers afflicted. According to experts, the average quantity of the pig of each month has been consumed over 100,000, each pig sold at a loss about 200,000 VND so the animal husbandry lost approximately 20 billion VND. This is a huge number.

(Translated by THKC)