MARD delegation inspects livestock breeding in Ninh Binh

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's report, since the beginning of 2021, the province's livestock farming situation has faced many difficulties and challenges due to diseases and fluctuations of the market. The local herd of cows and  buffalos saw a slight fall, while the flock of poultry posted a five-percent increase as compared to the same period last year, and the number of pigs reached 269,000, representing a rise of 26 percent year on year.

The African swine fever has been put under control in the first quarter of 2021. However, the disease has been developing complicatedly since late April when it appeared in 61 out of 142 communes, wards and towns of all eight districts and cities in the province.

At the same time, the lumpy skin disease in buffaloes and cows has been spreading rapidly  since the end of March.

Thanks to drastic measures taken by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the lumpy skin disease has been under control.

As for avian flu and aquaculture diseases, the province has not recorded any avian flu outbreak. The local aquaculture has seen no disease.

Delegates from the MARD's departments and units spoke highly of Ninh Binh's efforts in preventing and controlling livestock diseases; developing agricultural production and stepping up new-style rural area building. They also suggested that, in the time to come, Ninh Binh should pay more attention to implementing the Law on Animal Husbandry and regulations on banning livestock breeding in innner areas of cities, and carry out vaccinations for livestock and poultry.

They said Ninh Binh should pay heed to establishing livestock product chains associated with ecological tourism, and taking advantage of agricultural by-products for cattle breeding. Besides, it should expand origin traceability for husbandry products.

Speaking at the working session, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien highlighted the role of agriculture in the economy, especially in protecting local farmers in difficult times.

Though Ninh Binh's agriculture sector now accounts for only 11.7 percent of the local economy, it has still played an important role in the province's socio-economic development.

Currently, the province's livestock and aquaculture sectors still have great potential for further growth, therefore Ninh Binh should focus all resources to develop these sectors, he said.

In the short term, Ninh Binh needs to well implement disease prevention and control measures, complete its veterinary systems at the grassroot level, restructure the husbandry sector, and multiply the model of using agricultural by-products for cow breeding.

Previously, the delegation paid a fact- finding trip to a cow breeding farm in Khanh Hai commune and a pig breeding farm in Khanh Cuong commune of Yen Khanh district.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy