Improved, Hygienic Poultry Markets Boost Food Safety and Profits

DONG HA, September 26, 2012 -- Recent U.S.-supported market and slaughterhouse engineering improvements in Dong Ha city have provided an affordable, effective model for practical improvements that are easily replicated in other provinces. Provincial representatives from Vietnam's central region are meeting today in Dong Ha to review the model and discuss how these techniques can be applied more widely as part of a new coordinated regional approach to disease control and food safety.

With Vietnam's poultry production expected to double over the next decade, major changes are needed to prevent animal diseases while providing safe food for consumers.

When the U.S. Agency for International Development Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative (USAID/APII) first began working in Quang Tri province in 2010, the large provincial market was identified as an important location for controlling avian influenza and other animal diseases that pose a risk to humans. Local veterinary authorities and the market management board were keen to see improvements in the market, which serves the town's population of more than 80,000 inhabitants with around 1,000-1,200 birds passing through the market every day.

The Dong Ha market model is expected to be serve as a demonstration and learning laboratory for others to adopt and adapt, as there are hundreds of markets throughout Vietnam that trade in live and plucked poultry on a daily basis. These markets are in a position to apply the technical concepts and designs, and adopt the practices and behaviors that will result in improved biosecurity and biosafety.

Dr. Ho Sy Bien, Head of the Quang Tri province Sub-Department of Food Safety confirmed the potential for applying this model elsewhere.

"In addition to Dong Ha, there are many markets in Quang Tri and in Thua Thien-Hue or Quang Binh provinces which are in real need of renovation, so I think that we can replicate the model to other poor provinces in the central region like Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Thua Thien-Hue," he said. "At present time, while Vietnam is still practicing small-scale poultry production and centralized slaughtering has not yet been established, this is good model to be replicated."

Following the workshop, provincial authorities from 6 central provinces will work together to develop and implement a comprehensive plan for animal disease control, with support from central veterinary authorities and technical advice from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), under a U.S.-funded project. USAID/APII will cooperate with these partners to support the application of the Dong Ha model throughout the region.