Swine Marketing in South Vietnam

Excerpts from the report Introduction: The Vietnam swine industry has programs underway to increase hog production and production efficiency. These programs include importation of breeding stock, better feed efficiency through improved management practices and use of imported feeds and protein supplements, and larger litter size through better management accompanied by use of antibiotics to control disease. To adequately support these programs, the swine marketing system must be able to handle a larger supply of hogs efficiently. Changes may be needed to make the marketing system more efficient. If changes in the marketing system are to be successful, they need to be consistent with the Vietnamese cultural beliefs and practices. Therefore, a descriptive picture of the makeup of the present swine marketing system is necessary. One of the objectives of this report will be to provide such a descriptive picture from interviews with various people or associations who represent the various segments of the swine marketing channel. Other objectives of this report are to: 1. Estimate price spreads between the various pricing points in the marketing channel. 2. Determine the cost components which comprise price spreads. 3. Suggest possible problem areas in the marketing system. 4. Recommend improvements in the swine marketing system.