Pork vendors at Hue market have now resumed stable business.

The market and shops are busier and more lively.

This evening, Bun Vong restaurant (on Nguyen Du Street, Thuan Hoa Ward) was busier than in previous weeks. Many customers said that today the restaurant had plenty of pork, along with blood pudding, crab cakes, rare beef, braised beef, etc., making the dish taste authentic and delicious Hue-style beef noodle soup. The owner also shared that although they used to sell pork, it was limited and they switched to selling beef, crab, tendon, and blood pudding noodle soup. Now that the pork supply is stable, more customers have returned to the restaurant because they trust the safety control measures for pork implemented by the authorities.

A restaurant on Xuan 68 Street, Thuan Hoa Ward, was quite crowded between 6 PM and 8 PM, with 4-5 tables full of people, mostly locals. A pot of pork was already cooked in the preparation area. The owner said the meat was sourced from a reputable supplier with veterinary certificates and inspection documents, and was processed at a safe temperature according to the recommendations of the authorities. A customer named Lan, sitting next to my family, said: "Lately, I often come to this restaurant to eat beef noodle soup with pork trotters in the evening. The restaurant is clean, and the pork is delicious, so I'm no longer as apprehensive as before."

Unlike the period when the swine streptococcal disease outbreak occurred, when many eateries on Nguyen Hue, Pham Hong Thai (Thuan Hoa ward), Mai Thuc Loan, Dinh Tien Hoang, and Nguyen Trai streets (Phu Xuan ward) had to switch to selling beef, chicken, or fish, or eliminate dishes containing pork, most markets and restaurants in Hue City have now resumed selling pork.

Observations at the pork stalls in Dong Ba Market on the morning of September 18th showed a bustling flow of customers. A representative from the Dong Ba Market Management Board reported that pork consumption has now stabilized to levels seen before the Streptococcus suis outbreak. Over 60 retail pork stalls have resumed operations, selling an average of 50-60 kg per stall daily. Dong Ba Market also has more than 10 wholesale stalls, selling 1.5-2 tons of various types of pork per stall per day.

In other markets in Hue City, such as Kim Long, An Cuu, Tay Loc, and Phu Bai, 100% of the meat stalls that previously operated daily have now resumed operations. Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung, the owner of a meat stall at Thuan Loc Market (Phu Xuan Ward), shared that for nearly 10 days, the amount of meat sold has been quite stable. On average, she sells 30-40 kg of various types of pork per day. She sources her meat from reputable slaughterhouses; the meat has a traceable origin and veterinary inspection stamps, so consumers trust her products.

Creating momentum for sustainable recovery

The return of pork to markets and restaurants is welcome news, but to ensure a sustainable recovery, local authorities are implementing various solutions.

According to representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, departments and divisions are currently surveying the situation of slaughterhouses, households, and farms affected by the swine streptococcal disease outbreak in order to provide support in accordance with government policies, especially Decree No. 116/2025/ND-CP, dated June 5, 2025, on policies to support the remediation of animal diseases, effective from July 25, 2025.

Dr. Nguyen Van Hung, Head of the City's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, stated that, following the direction of the City People's Committee and based on Clause 3, Article 12 of the aforementioned Decree, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is drafting a Resolution of the City People's Council on specific support levels, based on feedback from relevant departments, agencies, and localities. Once approved, the relevant agencies will organize payments to communes and wards. Regarding the financial mechanism, according to Point d, Clause 1, Article 9 of the Decree, payments will be made by the People's Committees at the commune and ward levels, and if resources are insufficient, they may propose supplementary budget allocations from the provincial/city level.

Along with this support process, the city's Department of Agriculture and Environment is also researching policies to support livestock conversion, building safe livestock farming cooperative models, and promoting chain linkages between farmers and businesses to ensure output and stable income for the people.

According to statistics from the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Hue City currently has 406 pig and livestock farms; including 4 large-scale farms, 85 medium-scale farms, and 317 small-scale farms, with nearly 7,500 households and collectives involved in farming. These figures show the diversity of models and types, but it is clear that pig farming in Hue City is still largely small-scale, with unstable farm conditions and difficulty controlling disease outbreaks. This is a major "weakness" that makes the livestock industry vulnerable when disease outbreaks occur.

According to experts, households that do not meet biosecurity standards should proactively switch to less risky livestock such as cattle, goats, free-range chickens, and ducks, as these species are easier to manage, prevent diseases, and are suitable for household farming conditions and current market demands.

"Raising pigs is not necessary when disease control measures are lacking. If safety cannot be guaranteed, then switching to other livestock is the most effective way to maintain livelihoods," recommended the head of the City's Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine.

Text and photos: Minh Song

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/thit-lon-duoc-nguoi-dan-don-nhan-tro-lai-157902.html