Binh Duong livestock sector determines not to use banned substances

Using banned substances in animal husbandry, pumping toxic chemicals into meat is an alarming problem nowadays. To find suitable solutions, on Apr 12, in Binh Duong, National Agricultural Promotion Centre in collaboration with Department of Animal Husbandry (under Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) held a forum named “Solutions to banned substance management and combating the abuse of banned antibiotics in animal husbandry contribute to ensuring food security in the southern provinces".

Attending the forum were Mr. Tran Thanh Liem, Deputy Chairman of Binh Duong province People's Committee; representatives of units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Health; Veterinary Department, businesses, livestock-farm holders, slaughterhouses, and farmers in 7 provinces in the southern region.

Central agencies and localities across the country are making every effort to repel illegal substances in livestock sector. Photo: The forum participants visited a cattle slaughterhouse in Di An town, Binh Duong

The authorities drastically enter the combat

At the forum, Mr. Nguyen Van Viet, chief inspector of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said at present, the abuse of banned substances in animal husbandry had basically been stopped, thanks to regular inspections of competent authorities. Mr. Viet also informed, not all meat products on the market contained banned substances, but only a few pigs of small farms were fed by food mixed with salbutamol.

To clarify the situation of the import, trade, use of salbutamol, Environmental Crime Prevention Police Department under Ministry of Public Security coordinated with General Department of Customs and Drug Administration Department under Ministry of Health conducted inspections on imports of salbutamol. Accordingly, in 2014 and 2015, domestic pharmaceutical companies imported 9,140kg salbutamol including 6,248kg salbutamol sold to wrong subjects and wrong purposes.

According to functional departments, the active participation of the competent authorities in handling strictly violations and in raising the mass and farmer’s awareness of preventing banned substance use in livestock sector has brought significant effects. There are no more publicly selling products containing salbutamol.

Mr. Viet affirmed, the import and trading of banned substances in animal husbandry had been pushed back, making a basic change compared to the situation before Oct 2015. Currently, only a small number of farms are feeding pig on food mixed with salbutamol supplied by traders and pig mash marketers.

Raising awareness of everybody

According to Mr. Pham Huy Thong, Director of National Agricultural Promotion Center, to minimize the abuse of antibiotics and prohibited substances in animal husbandry, boosting propaganda about the harmful effects of the use of prohibited substances and antibiotic residues in livestock is essential. Besides, farm holders should be guided to biosecurity, VietGAP models… thereby, changing farmers’ awareness, encouraging farmers to pay attention to product quality to improve the efficiency and develop the livestock sector sustainably.

In Binh Duong province, the increasing use of bio-products replacing banned substances in agricultural models has been deployed extensively by the authorities. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung, Deputy Director of provincial Agricultural Promotion Center, said the center had transferred biology padding technique to farmers. This is an important solution that will contribute to limit the use of prohibited substances and antibiotics in livestock.

In addition, the center has introduced active probiotics mixed with pig food to stimulate digestion, increase the absorption of nutrients minimize environmental pollution… to farmers. Besides, provincial Livestock Veterinary and Fishery Department has encouraged farmers, veterinarians, animal food businessmen and companies in the province to commit not using banned substances in animal husbandry. Mr. Nguyen Tan Binh, Director of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, asserted that Binh Duong province identified that raising organizations, individuals’ awareness of law compliance in the production, sales, use of animal food was essential.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Tran Thanh Liem, Deputy Chairman of Binh Duong province People's Committee, said the forum was a very meaningful activity in response to the actual situation of banned substance use and management in livestock sector. The forum was held on the peak, when Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was deploying Material quality and agricultural product safety control plan. The forum provided information about banned substance and antibiotics for farmers, consumers in order to build a clean safe agriculture for successful integration.

Reported by Quynh Nhien – Translated by Ngoc Huynh