Vietnam bank finances avian influenza control project

The State Bank of Vietnam and the World Bank have signed on to help finance the Vietnam Avian and Human Influenza Control Preparedness Project, which will help the country improve its responses to highly pathogenic avian influenza, human influenza and other newly emerging zoonotic diseases.
US$25 million will be provided to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to increase the effectiveness of public services in reducing the health risk to poultry and humans from avian influenza in 11 high-priority provinces. The focus will be on controlling the disease at the poultry level, early detection and response to infection, and preparing for the medical consequences of a pandemic.
Two other avian influenza projects have been funded (at a total cost of US$40 million) and implemented since 2004: the Avian Influenza Emergency Recovery Project and the Vietnam Avian and Human Influenza Control and Preparedness Project.

Vietnam halts H5N1 poultry vaccination due to new strain

Vietnam's government has halted a nationwide poultry vaccination against H5N1, saying a new strain of the virus has rendered the current vaccine ineffective.
"Based on post-vaccination surveillance results, a new clade of the H5N1 virus has appeared in Vietnam since 2010," said the government. The new strain has been found in northern provinces, coastal provinces in the central region and the Central Highlands. The old strain is still active in the southern provinces of Vietnam, according to reports.

Vietnam frozen poultry, pork imports rise 20%-30%

Imports of frozen meat, particularly poultry and pork, have increased by 20% to 30% in Vietnam as prices on the country's domestic market have increased. In April, 8,219 metric tons of poultry meat and 456 metric tons of pork were imported, two to three times higher than typical numbers, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Sub-Department of Animal Health.
The price of imported meat has increased alongside domestic meat, but global prices have not, resulting in significant profits for importers. With taxes and other expenses, the global price for frozen chicken wings is VND65,000 (US$3.14) per kilogram. A kilogram of imported chicken wings, however, is being sold for VND90,000 (US$4.35). Similarity, the cost of a kilogram of imported pork is about VND60,000 (US$2.90) including tax and other expenses, while its retail price in the domestic market is VND70,000-80,000 (US$3.38-$3.87) per kilogram. Imported meat is roughly VND10,000 (US$0.48) cheaper than domestic prices.

Vietnamese chicken prices crash

Poultry farmers in the Xuan Loc District of Vietnam have suffered big losses during the last three months after wholesale prices of chicken crashed by almost 60% from US$2.60 to US$1.10 a kg, according to a news report.
Many HCM City supermarkets, too, witnessed a drop in chicken prices even as farmers tried to raise more chicken with the hope of increasing profits.
Those who raised chickens without contracts were the hardest hit.