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Illustration photo on VGP

Vietnam will import 20,000 breeding pigs from Thailand this year, state media said on Thursday, as the country is seeking to rebuild its hog herd battered by an African swine-fever outbreak.

First detected in February 2019, the outbreak has forced the culling of around six million pigs, or 20% of Viet Nam's pig herd, resulting in higher pork prices and putting upward pressure on inflation.

While not harmful to humans, the African swine fever is deadly to pigs, with no available vaccine.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said this was the first shipment of 20,000 pigs to be imported from Thailand this year.

Tien said that domestic piglet prices are currently very high, from VND2.8 million (US$120) to more than VND3 million (US$128.6) each, however many localities have failed to meet farmers’ demands.

The government said in March that Viet Nam's inflation could be at 4.22% this year if pork prices can be cut in the country, where pork accounts for three-quarters of meat consumption, reported the Bangkokpost.

This photograph taken on May 27, 2019 shows health officials spraying disinfectant on a dead pig at a farm in Hanoi before burying it in an isolated quarantined pit to stop the spread of African Swine Fever. (AFP photo)

The first batch of 250 pigs has been imported from Thailand, and they are expected to start producing piglets by the end of this year, Vietnam News Agency reported, citing deputy agriculture minister Phung Duc Tien.

It said the price of the imported pigs ranges from 13 million Vietnamese dong to 15 million dong ($556.8-$642.4) each.

The first batch of 250 pigs from the country and they are expected to start producing piglets by the end of this year. Photo: Pixabay.com

The Viet Duc Nutrition Company has imported the first batch of 250 pigs from the country and they are expected to start producing piglets by the end of this year.

The high pork prices have been putting high pressure on inflation which the government is striving to keep under 4% this year.

In the first 4 months of 2020, food prices increased by 13.65% over the same period last year, adding 3.08% to CPI increase. Pork price increased by 61.5% over the same period last year.

Bringing pork price to VND60,000-65,000 VND per kilogram is an important factor to realize the 4% inflation this year.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has instructed ministries, agencies, and localities to focus on promoting production, husbandry, strengthening re-herd, balancing supply and demand to control pork prices, informed the nhipcaudautu.

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