The rapid growth in demand for pork in Vietnam represents an opportunity for smallholders to improve their incomes. But limited access to improved breeds, inputs, veterinary services and markets has constrained smallholders from benefiting fully from market opportunities presented by this rising demand.

Recent pronouncements on government policy have also favoured the development of larger-scale, more commercialised production of pigs for supplying increasing domestic demand and ultimately for export as a means of transforming the livestock sector. To help achieve a more equitable strategy for livestock development, a collaborative research project is looking at ways in which the competitiveness of smallholder pig producers could be improved in the Vietnam market.

To help inform policymakers and development agencies working in the livestock sector, a collaborative project led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has mapped the supply chains for various Vietnamese markets for piglets and pork products. Through this, researchers have determined that some more efficient smallholder units exist, which helps provide empirical evidence to support the development of the smallholder sector.

Read more … (New Agriculturist)