In recent years, Nam Dinh Province’s livestock sector has remained stable and has effectively controlled disease in livestock herds, making an important contribution to the overall growth of the agricultural sector. Among these, livestock farming in the direction of biosecurity (ATSH) is considered a leading solution for efficient and sustainable development.
POSITIVE SHIFTS IN LIVESTOCK STRUCTURE
According to the Provincial Statistics Office, as of the end of May 2025, the total buffalo herd reached 7,689 head (up 2.4%), cattle 29,036 head (up 1.4%), pigs 627,120 head, and poultry 9.678 million birds (up 4.3% compared with the same period in 2024). The structure of livestock breeds is changing positively, with the proportion of high-yield, high-quality, and specialty breeds increasing.
Livestock farmers in localities have proactively invested in barns and facilities in line with biosecurity standards. A typical example is the pig farming model of Mr. Nguyen Quang Tiep (Yen Thang Commune, Y Yen District), with a scale of 500 pigs per batch, using enclosed barns, a cooling system, bio-bedding flooring, and strict sanitation and disinfection procedures. Thanks to full compliance with biosecurity procedures, his farm has consistently maintained efficiency and stability, with no disease outbreaks.
In Nam Cuong Commune (Nam Truc District), Mr. Cao Van Tu has developed an integrated farming model on 1 hectare, combining a fish pond, pig, chicken, duck, and pigeon barns. He focuses on investing in biosecurity infrastructure such as hygienic drinking water systems, clean feeding troughs, nutritional supplementation, and regular disease prevention. The results show efficiency increasing by 6-8% compared with the old method, with healthy livestock, fewer illnesses, and reduced antibiotic use.
TOWARD CONCENTRATED, CLOSED-LOOP LIVESTOCK FARMING
Nam Dinh currently has 350 livestock facilities meeting farm-scale standards, including 9 large-scale farms, 127 medium-scale farms, and 214 small-scale farms. Most farms apply a closed-loop model, especially in pig farming, following a process from breeding stock to sale, helping control quality and disease.
Poultry breeds are all sourced from reputable facilities with clear origins. Barns are built in enclosed designs, making care, monitoring, and disease prevention more convenient.
In addition, the province’s livestock sector is promoting the development of production-consumption linkage chains, creating a foundation for concentrated commodity production with traceability. Many models have formed linkages between livestock households, cooperatives, and enterprises.
SOME DIFFICULTIES AND REMEDIAL DIRECTIONS
Despite many positive results, biosecurity livestock farming in Nam Dinh still faces numerous challenges:
Many households still maintain small-scale livestock raising in residential areas, making disease control difficult.
Purchasing livestock of unclear origin and using leftover food pose risks of disease transmission.
Livestock waste treatment systems are not yet synchronized, and indiscriminate waste discharge still occurs.
The declaration of livestock operations and relocation of farms that do not conform to planning still face many obstacles.
SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT
To promote the widespread development of biosecurity livestock farming, localities need to:
Strengthen communication, training, and replication of pilot models.
Support people in accessing biosecurity technologies and techniques.
Plan concentrated livestock zones and build slaughtering and processing facilities that meet food safety and hygiene standards.
Develop sustainable linkage chains among livestock production, consumption, and product processing.
The synchronized implementation of these solutions will help control disease, reduce risks, improve economic efficiency, and ensure the livestock sector develops safely and sustainably.
Van Dai
Source: Nam Dinh Newspaper
