HCM CITY — Cutting-edge products, technologies and services in the livestock industry are on display at the International Feed, Livestock & Meat Industry expo (Vietstock Expo & Forum) that opened in HCM City on Wednesday.

It has attracted more than 300 brands and 13,000 trade visitors from 40 countries and territories.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Director General of the Department of Animal Health and Production Phạm Kim Đăng said the livestock industry recorded growth of 4.98 per cent in the first nine months of this year.

In the period, meat production was 6.83 million tonnes, up 5 per cent year-on-year, egg production was 15.7 billion, and fresh milk output was one million tonnes, he said.

Exports of livestock products are estimated at US$564 million, a 24.6 per cent increase from the same period last year, he said.

Based on current livestock population trends, the sector is expected to achieve its full-year growth target of 5-5.2 per cent, he said.

Livestock is expected to continue contributing 27 per cent of the agricultural sector’s total output, he said.

It underlines the fact that livestock is one of the two important growth drivers of Việt Nam’s agricultural sector along with aquaculture, he said.

But the sector also faces a lot of challenges, he said.

The small scale of farming, traditional consumption practices, and fragmented slaughtering and distribution systems create difficulties in controlling biosecurity risks and animal diseases, he said. 

Disease outbreaks and natural disasters remain difficult to manage and unpredictable, and climate change is having an increasingly visible impact, he pointed out. 

High costs of inputs, increasingly stringent requirements for food safety, traceability, environmental protection, and emissions reduction are also affecting the competitiveness of livestock products.

He said science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation have become direct drivers of the sector’s development.

The department is commissioning and guiding research into strategic technologies related to the livestock industry, and advancing its digitalisation.

Vietstock is an important opportunity for stakeholders to meet, showcase technologies, exchange experiences, and explore potential partnerships, he added.

The expo, organised by Informa Markets and hosted by the Department of Animal Health and Production at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, will run until October 23. — VNS