Banned substances threaten the livestock industry

While the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) bans the use of Salbutamol in livestock, the Ministry of Health still allows it in medical treatment.

In the latest news, five pig-breeding farms in the southern province of Tay Ninh have been fined for using salbutamol as lean-meat agent.

Tran Van Thanh, an inspector from the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Department, told Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper that five of the nine samples taken by the department from these breeding farms had tested positive for salbutamol, which was banned for breeders in 2002.

The farms were fined VND80 million (US$3,600) in total, of which three of them received the highest fine of VND20 million ($909) each.

Meanwhile, in southern Dong Nai Province, the Veterinary Department found 17 out of 84 samples have tested positive for salbutamol in the first eight months of the year. Each violator was fined VND15 million ($680).

The Department has proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should closely control the source of the banned substance, increase the fines on violations and destroy the entire shipment of goods that test positive for banned substances.

In addition, criminal penalties must be imposed on breeders with multiple violations on their record.

Last month, more than 300 pig-breeding households in Dong Nai Province signed a commitment to refrain from using banned chemical substances. 

According to the latest information from the MARD Inspectorate, in August and early September, the authorities discovered 16 batches of pigs with Salbutamol, that have harmful side effects, including six batches in Dong Nai Province, and two each in Tien Giang, Long An, Vinh Long, Ben Tre and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Police are investigating the cases.

Pham Tien Dung, an inspector of MARD, said the use of banned substances in animal husbandry had become a big concern, especially in Dong Nai province, home to about 2,100 pig farms.

Dong Nai authorities have “blockaded” a number of areas, where traders fatten pigs with banned substances, Dung said.

According to MARD's Inspectorate, the situation is also serious in Tien Giang province, where up to 25/38 samples of pork were detected with banned substances.

Dung said that HCM City is the main market for pigs from these southern provinces. The city has planned to oversee all local abattoirs in order to protect the health of consumers and to trace the origin of pork with banned substances.

Meanwhile, Vietnam Livestock JSC, one of the largest livestock firms in the country, has discovered two of its pork suppliers using banned substances. The company will start supervision over the entire system.

The company’s representative Nguyen Duy Linh told Tien Phong Newspaper that the company would stop cooperating with any partner and supplier found using banned substances, and would ask for police intervention.

A representative of the International Agriculture Nutrition JSC (ANCO) said some traders bought Anco’s pigs and then fattened the pigs with banned substances before taking them to abattoirs. This has badly affected the firm’s reputation.

“We have asked the police to launch an investigation and the Dong Nai Veterinary Bureau to tighten control of the granting of quarantines," an ANCO official said.

The price of pork in southern provinces is decreasing as consumers are afraid of purchasing pork with banned substances.

Honest farmers have suffered heavy losses while the imports of pork will increase, hurting the local livestock industry.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, Deputy Director of the Livestock Department (MARD), has said that only small breeders used banned substances but now even big farms, the suppliers for big livestock companies, had also used them. This is due to the loose supervision of big livestock firms.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has instructed relevant agencies to launch an inspection of banned substances in the country.

At the same time, the Livestock Department is to modify Circular 57, allowing rapid urine test strips to check for banned substances.

Duong said that Salbutamol was banned from use in animal husbandry by MARD but the Ministry of Health allowed its use to cure asthma. He said the Health Ministry should tightly control the import and the use of this substance.

"We cannot arrest a person purchasing this substance. Only when he mixes it with bran and uses it for animal breeding, it is then illegal," Duong added.