Pig transport is one of the main disease transmission routes. With this in mind, Mavin Group has embraced a thorough pig movement control program to protect its breeding herd and keep its customers’ farms safe from ASF.
Transit station
In March, Mavin announced it will build a swine transit station in Dong Thap province. The station will allow the company to complete its pig value chain in southern Vietnam.
Also, it will help control the flow of pigs from the Mekong Delta to the region’s largest consumer market, Ho Chi Minh City.
The pig station will comprise a hog farm with a capacity of 60,000 porkers, a buffer zone, and a pig feedlot that can hold 5000-6000 pigs at a time.
“The hog farm and the feedlot area are equipped with automatic feeding/drinking. The temperature in this area will be closely monitored and automatically controlled to create favorable conditions for the animals,” Nguyen Anh Tuan, the Group’s Deputy Director told Asian Agribiz.
The station also includes a modern laboratory with a PCR diagnostic system to provide on-site tests on pathogens and microorganisms infecting the pigs.
“We can provide quick and thorough detection of viruses and bacteria that cause diseases,” added Mr Tuan.
Mavin expects the station to be operational in 2022.
“We are also considering building a slaughterhouse in this area,” said Mr Tuan.
Mitigating disease risks
For Mavin, strict biosecurity is a must to protect the pigs from ASF and other diseases. The same protocols it implements on its farms will also be applied to the pig transfer station, with four pillars to be followed:
Pig loading control – all pigs sent to the station, either from Mavin’s internal farms or from customers’ farms, must be healthy and have the proper origin and quarantine certificates.
The strict and highly automated biosecurity that helps prevent ASF and other diseases at Mavin’s farms will be applied to its pig transit station.
People and vehicles entering and leaving the farms will be strictly sterilized. Feed and drinking water at the feedlot will be strictly controlled to ensure the health of the pigs. The station will operate an all-in-all-out system to minimize the risk of disease transmission.
Safe pork to the market
The pig transit station will receive porkers from Mavin’s affiliated farms in the Mekong region. Its buyers will include traders and pig slaughterhouses that will supply Ho Chi Minh City.
“The station’s purpose is to create a safe area for pig quarantine and veterinary checks before they are supplied to the market,” said Mr Tuan. “It will also support the local veterinary agency in controlling diseases and give traders a convenient and trusted area to source pigs.”
Source: Asian Agribusiness