March 16, 2006

Vietnam targets industrial-scale poultry slaughtering

Vietnam will be developing industrial-scale poultry slaughterhouses to slowly replace the small-scale slaughterhouses, said Deputy Head of Livestock Breeding Department Dr. Nguyen Thanh Son at a seminar yesterday to address the issue of industrial slaughter houses for poultry.

Vietnam has 136 poultry slaughterhouses, but many of them use old workshops or are located close to residential quarters. The health authorities are worried that such places may be breeding vats for bird flu outbreaks which would cripple the Vietnamese economy.

Participants at a seminar organized by the The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said a lack of financial investment and government direction have so far hampered growth in the slaughtering industry.

The MARD said it has submitted a government proposal on the renewal of poultry farming, slaughtering and processing on an industrial scale for the 2006-10 period, including measures and policies to encourage investment in this industry.