Rising live pig prices warrant caution when restocking herds.

For the past four months, live pig prices have remained high, fluctuating between 68,000 and 70,000 VND/kg. This price level has brought considerable profits to many pig farmers.

Ms. Tran Thi Luot, a pig farmer in Truc Binh 2 village, Minh Bao commune, Yen Bai city, said: "Since the beginning of the year, the price of live pigs has continuously increased. When selling each pig weighing about 100kg, on average, after deducting expenses, the family earns a profit of about 1 - 1.5 million VND."

This is a good profit margin for long-time pig farmers like her family. "In previous years, there were times when live pigs sold for only 48,000 VND/kg. At that time, the family suffered losses of more than 500,000 VND per pig because continuing to raise them would incur additional maintenance costs and delay the time for restocking," Ms. Luot added.

The family of Mr. Lai Van Toan in Ban Lom village, Hanh Son commune, Nghia Lo town, has 20 years of experience in pig farming. Each year, his family maintains a herd of 30-35 pigs. Currently, the high price of pork has helped his family increase their income, reduce financial burdens, and create resources to continue developing and expanding the farm. However, Mr. Toan is very cautious about expanding and restocking because the high price of pork could lead to a rush of restocking by many families, resulting in a sharp increase in feed prices, a potential drop in the price of pigs at slaughter, and a resurgence of disease.

Mr. Toan shared: "My family just sold 30 pigs for meat, and now we want to restock, but due to fear of disease outbreaks, we only dare to maintain the current number, keeping the sows that give birth to raise for restocking to be on the safe side."

According to many people, the current high price of live pigs stems from several causes. First, outbreaks of African swine fever and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in some provinces and cities have reduced the supply of pork on the market. In addition, the high cost of animal feed has made farmers more cautious about restocking their herds.

Strict controls on pork imports across the border have also contributed to limiting supply and driving up live pig prices. Many experts in the livestock industry predict that live pig prices may continue to rise further before stabilizing, especially during the summer months when hot weather reduces consumer demand.

Notably, the current increase in live pig prices could easily lead to a situation where many farmers hold onto their pigs until they reach market age, waiting for higher prices before selling them, causing a "false shortage" crisis that drives pig prices even higher. To avoid disrupting the balance in livestock farming, experts recommend that businesses and farmers exercise caution in restocking and selling pigs as usual.

In reality, with the current high price of pork, farmers need to be extremely cautious about restocking and expanding their farming operations, especially small-scale farmers. The agricultural sector and local authorities need to intensify their communication efforts to ensure that people understand and are aware of the province's pig farming plan. The lessons learned from early 2016 have become ingrained in the minds of many farmers.

At that time, live pig prices soared, peaking at over 80,000 VND/kg, prompting thousands of households to invest in expanding their livestock farming operations. Subsequently, pig prices plummeted to rock bottom, only ranging from 20,000 to 24,000 VND/kg, causing hundreds of families to go bankrupt and lose their homes due to livestock farming.

Mr. Ninh Tran Phuong, Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine, stated: "The province currently has over 845,000 head of livestock, including over 700,000 pigs. In the first quarter of 2025, the province's output of live meat of all types reached 27,850 tons. A positive development for the livestock industry in the province is the significant reduction in the number of small-scale livestock farmers. Furthermore, the effective control of disease outbreaks over the past year has helped the livestock sector achieve a high proportion in the overall agricultural structure. To ensure production efficiency, farmers need to closely monitor market demand. They should also be cautious when restocking and choose to purchase breeding stock from reputable, licensed establishments. They should proactively vaccinate their livestock in general, and pigs in particular… When detecting signs of disease in livestock, they should promptly notify the relevant authorities; they should not conceal outbreaks or sell off animals prematurely." being sick, having an illness...

The province's livestock industry is encouraging value chain-based livestock farming, linking the interests of farmers with processing businesses to ensure stable output and help people feel secure in their production.

Quang Thieu

Source: https://baoyenbai.com.vn/12/351505/Gia-lon-hoi-tang-can-can-trong-tai-dan.aspx