Among the businesses attending the meeting were Co.op Mart and Big C supermarkets. Co.opMart said it had launched a demand stimulation program with a discount of 10-20 percent on fresh and processed pork prices.
Big C has cut pork prices by 20-30 percent. All discounted products meet food safety and quarantine regulations with clear origin.
Cau Tre Company said that the company would positively consume clean domestic pork instead of import.
Deputy director of the department Nguyen Huynh Trang said that the city has been ready to join hands with the country to rescue pork for farmers. This will be like previous rescues of watermelon for farmers from Long An province, tomatoes for Lam Dong and Thieu litchi for Bac Giang people.
However, that was just a temporary solution, she said. In long term, authorized agencies should have a better than now plan for farming production.
She suggested businesses to limit import, intensify purchase and preservation of domestic pork products and promote discounts on processed products such as sausage, hams and lean pork paste.
Previously, the neighboring province of Dong Nai’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Industry and Trade worked with the provincial Animal Husbandry Association to buy pigs, slaughter them and directly sell pork to consumers from April 30 to May 3.
Traders now buy pigs at the price of only VND18,000-24,000 a kilogram. The agencies and the association pays VND31,000 and sell pork at the price 30-40 percent lower than market prices.
They have been working toward profiting farmers and providing consumers with clean and low cost pork. So far, two selling spots have been opened in Bien Hoa city. Four others will be organized in Trang Bom, Vinh Cuu and Thong Nhat districts.
According to Mr. Nguyen Kim Doan, deputy chairman of the association, the purchase and slaughtering of pigs for sales aim to limit traders’ influence on pig prices and contribute in stabilizing the market.
Dong Nai province now has 1.7 million pigs including 300,000 mature ones in need of consumption.
