According to the General Department of Customs, in the first 8 months of 2024, Vietnam spent nearly 1.08 billion USD to import meat and meat products. Compared to the same period last year, the import value of this group of products increased sharply by 20.3%.

On the other hand, Vietnam's meat and meat products exports reached 105 million USD. Thus, our country is having a trade deficit of about 970 million USD of meat and meat products.

Vietnam is importing meat and meat products from 37 markets around the world. Photo: Nguyen Hanh

Specifically, our country imports fresh and frozen pork, beef, poultry; imports edible animal by-products such as chicken feet, chicken necks, chicken skin, hearts, kidneys, gizzards, etc.

Vietnam imports meat and meat products, by-products from 37 countries and territories around the world. Of which, India, Russia, Brazil, Germany, Canada, the US, Spain, Poland... are the main suppliers of livestock products for our country in the past 8 months.

According to the report of the Department of Livestock Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), the price of live pigs in countries that are suppliers to Vietnam is quite low. Specifically, in Russia, Brazil, Canada, the price of this item is only 34,100 - 34,200 VND/kg; in the US it is 38,400 VND/kg.... Therefore, the average price of imported pork is only 52,000 - 55,000 VND/kg. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the price of live pigs ranges from 61,000 - 67,000 VND/kg; pork products on the market are commonly priced from 120,000 - 250,000 VND/kg depending on the type.

Mr. Pham Kim Dang - Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Husbandry (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) - said that in recent years, Vietnam has been known as a country with the world's 5th largest pig farming industry in terms of head and 6th in terms of meat output. Accordingly, China is in the lead (48%), followed by the EU (20%), ranked third by the US (11%), Brazil (4%), Russia (4%), and Vietnam (3%).

Regarding pork consumption, among the 10 countries with the highest consumption in the world, Vietnam ranks 6th with a pork consumption/production ratio of 105.4%. Domestic pork production only meets 95% of pork consumption demand.

"The amount of pork consumed per capita in Vietnam in recent years has gradually increased. In 2021, it was about 30 kg of pork per person per year. In 2022, it was about 32 kg of pork per person per year. In 2023, it was about 33.8 kg of pork per person per year," Mr. Pham Kim Dang pointed out.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that in the food basket, pork accounts for 65% of the consumer price index (CPI).