Vietnam's supermarket chains report 10-15% increase in sales of pork products as compared before the blue-ear outbreak.

Ho Chi Minh City's authorities and concerned consumers acted on their own initiatives to protect themselves from the disease and dealt with pork consumption more carefully to cope with the complicated development of blue-ear pig diseases in some provinces.

The blue-ear disease or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) has spread to 13 provinces in Vietnam with the northern province of Bac Giang being the most recent affected.

At present, Ho Chi Minh City' pork consumption remain unchanged; however, the traders say that the consumers tend to move to buying pork in the supermarkets or shops such as Co.opMart and Big C instead of in the markets or unprompted market areas.

Vietnam is one of the world's top pork-consuming countries. In 2005, per capita consumption was 27.5 kilogrammes, and consumption continues to rise.

Tariffs rates for pork products have been reduced as Vietnam acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) last January 2007, effectively opening the market to international suppliers.

Vietnam is actively focused on increasing its hog production capabilities and is constantly seeking of foreign investment, technologies, expertise and genetics to grow this sector.