Meat import demand unlikely to grow sharply this year: agency

Illustrative image (Photo: AP)

The demand for imported meat and meat products is unlikely to skyrocket in 2022, according to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Elaborating its forecast, the agency pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic that has shrunken eating-out services, caused redundant supply, and hampered transportation due to disrupted supply chains.

In January, Vietnam imported 53,700 tonnes of meat and meat products worth 114.13 million USD, up 4.3 percent in volume and 17.9 percent in value month on month, the agency reported. India was the largest among the 37 foreign suppliers of meat and meat products for Vietnam.

The agency said the husbandry sector will continue to face difficulties this year as the pandemic and the African swine fever (ASF) epidemic remain complicated. Besides, domestic production and intermediate costs are still high.

Meanwhile, trade experts predicted animal husbandry in Vietnam will continue recovering in 2022 as ASF prevention measures have proved useful, helping major farming establishments avoid large-scale outbreaks.

Statistics show that about 28 million pigs are being farmed nationwide, with the volume raised for meat production basically meeting domestic demand./.