On the morning of June 21, a workshop to launch a pilot model for biosecure pig farming and African swine fever control was held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The event was attended by the Department of Livestock, the International Cooperation Department, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Duong Tat Thang, Director of the Department of Livestock, stated that the department urgently needs support from the international community and international organizations to build and robustly develop biosecure pig farming models to prevent infectious diseases, especially African swine fever.

“Through this workshop, we aim to share information about the biosecure pig farming development program to prevent African swine fever with agencies and units within and outside the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as with businesses and farmers. From this, we hope to identify some optimal solutions and implementation plans to help the livestock sector reduce African swine fever and develop sustainably and effectively in the future,” Mr. Duong Tat Thang shared.

Regarding this area, Mr. Vu Thanh Liem, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department, mentioned that in December 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on technical support for African swine fever control was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the IFC.

Shortly thereafter, the two parties coordinated to establish a technical working group and develop a detailed action plan for the pilot program on biosecure pig farming to control African swine fever.

The objective of the program is to develop a pilot model for biosecure pig farming to control African swine fever, applying international standards set by the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health).

“Today’s workshop will introduce the project, regulations, and conditions for biosecure pig farming, methods for monitoring and controlling African swine fever, and the conditions and benefits for businesses participating in the project,” Mr. Vu Thanh Liem added.

On the IFC side, Ms. Rana Karadshed, Director of Agriculture, Production, and Services for the Asia-Pacific region, stated that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on technical support for African swine fever control signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the IFC has significantly contributed to enhancing the sustainability of Vietnam’s pork production and better preparing for future disease outbreaks.

“This collaboration has yielded results, including the assessment of epidemiology in pig farming, risk analysis, summarizing biosecurity rules and disease management for pigs, as well as developing a high-level strategy, action plan, and implementation issues. Technical advisory teams will play a key role in controlling and preventing African swine fever and other diseases in pig farming,” the IFC representative shared.

Ms. Rana Karadshed further noted that African swine fever has caused severe devastation to the global commercial pork industry. Therefore, Vietnam’s recent announcement of an African swine fever vaccine is a significant breakthrough in the veterinary field and has been highly praised by the international community.

However, to control this dangerous disease, it is still essential to focus on biosecurity and good farming practices to achieve sustainable development, control disease, and reduce costs in the context of high input prices in agriculture.

The launch of the program to develop a biosecure pig farming model to combat African swine fever represents a significant yet challenging step towards ensuring that Vietnam leads the region in recovering from the African swine fever crisis in accordance with internationally recognized standards.

“Public-private partnerships cannot succeed without strong commitment and participation from both the government and participating businesses. Therefore, the involvement of delegates and businesses is a testament to the commitment to working with the government to combat African swine fever and ensure that farmers recognize the potential of the project,” Ms. Rana Karadshed emphasized.