Ministry proposes high-rise pig farming trial in Vietnam

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien stated on Thursday that the ministry has submitted a proposal to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to launch high-rise pig farms in Vietnam.

This follows the submission of building plans by two companies: Ho Chi Minh City-based BAF Vietnam Agriculture Joint Stock Company (BAF Vietnam) and Xuan Thien Thanh Hoa Joint Stock Company in Thanh Hoa Province.

BAF Vietnam has entered into a strategic partnership with China’s Muyuan Foods Co., Ltd., the world’s largest pig-breeding company renowned for its multi-story swine production system, to adapt and deploy this model domestically.

Accordingly, it will build a smart six-story pig farm complex in Tay Ninh Province, designed to house 64,000 breeding sows with an annual production capacity of 1.6 million commercial pigs.

The total investment is estimated at over VND12 trillion (US$458 million), with projected annual revenue between VND12 million ($458) and VND13 trillion ($495 million) and a payback period of approximately 5-5.5 years.

Since 2018, China has applied the multi-story pig farming model, creating nearly 4,500 high-rise pig farm buildings that support approximately 2.65 million breeding sows and supply more than 30 million hogs each year, according to the ministry.

Raising pigs in multi-story facilities offers numerous distinct advantages over traditional methods by incorporating scientific and technological innovations.

Smart livestock farming systems utilize AI, blockchain, ICT, automation, and real-time sensor monitoring to collect both visual and audio data from each pig, enabling early disease detection and the estimation of daily weight gain.

Biosecurity and epidemic control are further reinforced by smart wastewater, waste, and gas treatment systems that conserve water, minimize emissions, and generate organic fertilizer for agricultural use.

Environmental air management is maintained through a four-layer filtration setup capable of eliminating over 95 percent of odors, sterilizing exhaust air and preventing disease transmission.

Additionally, the multi-story structure reduces reliance on land area and shared infrastructure, accelerates land clearance, enhances land use efficiency by 4.3 times, and saves labor, as one person can monitor about 2,000 pigs.

In Vietnam, laws, schemes, and strategies for livestock development are oriented toward modernizing the industry, promoting high-technology adoption, ensuring biosecurity and protecting the environment.

The country has also issued the national standard TCVN 14209:2024 for multi-story pig farms.

Pig farming remains a significant sector in Vietnam, accounting for 62–65 percent of total meat production.

In 2024, Vietnam’s domestically slaughtered pork volume reached nearly 5.2 million metric tons, ranking sixth globally.

Vietnam’s per capita pork consumption has risen to approximately 37 kilograms in 2024 from around 30 kilograms in 2021, positioning the country as the fourth-largest pork consuming nation globally.

If approved by the prime minister, BAF Vietnam’s project would likely become the first high-rise pig farm in Vietnam.