Through the research process, the project "Solutions for sustainable development of pig farming in Hau Giang province" has proposed an effective pig farming process suitable for the production and development conditions of the pig herd in the province.
The research findings will provide support to pig farmers in the province.
From concerns about African swine fever...
According to reports, in the first six months of the year, the province's pig herd reached 145,890; the province experienced one outbreak of African swine fever affecting 66 pigs in Chau Thanh A district. In July, three more outbreaks were reported in Vi Thanh city, affecting a total of 145 pigs. For many years, this disease has remained a major concern for pig farmers in the province.
During the period 2018-2023, African swine fever directly affected the number and structure of the province's pig herd. While before 2018, the density of pig farming in the province ranged from 10-100 pigs/km2, by the peak of the outbreak in 2019, the density had dropped to below 10 pigs/km2, with 100% of districts, towns, and cities recording outbreaks. African swine fever caused significant losses to pig farmers and negatively impacted the growth of the province's agricultural sector.
According to Mr. Ngo Minh Long, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: “In 2018 and 2019, when African swine fever occurred in the province, more than 55,000 pigs were culled. The province had to spend a large amount of budget to compensate people for their losses. Agricultural growth also declined as a result.” From 2020 to the present, although the pig population has shown a gradual increase, the risk from African swine fever remains.
In response to this situation, in 2021, the province launched the research project "Solutions for Sustainable Development of the Pig Herd in Hau Giang Province," led by Associate Professor Dr. Tran Ngoc Bich, with Can Tho University as the lead organization. The project is expected to develop measures for preventing and treating African swine fever that are suitable for the specific conditions of Hau Giang. This will contribute to improving the productivity and quality of pork products in the province.
Finding solutions for sustainable pig farming
In implementing the project, the project team conducted an overview of the situation and conditions of pig farming in the province.
The survey results show that small-scale pig farming accounts for the highest percentage at 67.22%. The most common herd structure is pig farming combining breeding and meat production, at 67.79%. 58.89% of pig farming households have a distance of less than 1km from the main road. Most people have sturdy pig pens, are aware of disease prevention and control, with 90.56% of households vaccinating their pigs.
The study also indicated that African swine fever outbreaks in the province depend on factors such as: the origin of the breeding stock, feed, farming system, human factors, and distance from main roads, markets, other farms, etc. Using realtime PCR, the study detected African swine fever virus circulating in 22.91% of the surveillance samples taken in the province. This strain belongs to the same branch as the African swine fever virus strains circulating in the Mekong Delta and throughout the country.
Based on this, the project created an epidemiological map of African swine fever in Hau Giang province. It issued a handbook and developed a biosafety pig farming process and a plan for preventing and controlling several infectious diseases in pigs. It proposed technical solutions for building and developing biosafety-compliant pig farming models in a modern and sustainable direction. It also suggested effective state management solutions for preventing and controlling African swine fever and other infectious diseases in pigs in the province.
According to Dr. Nguyen Van Quyen, Head of the Faculty of Agriculture, Can Tho City College of Economics and Technology: "The research results of this project have high practical significance and can be widely applied in the pig farming industry at households in the province." This will help pig farmers gain more knowledge to effectively prevent and control African swine fever and other diseases, contributing to the sustainable development of the province's pig herd.
DANG LETTER
Source: https://www.baohaugiang.com.vn/nong-nghiep-nong-thon/them-tro-luc-cho-nguoi-chan-nuoi-heo-135318.html
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