The price of pigs imported into Vietnam has dropped sharply, creating competitive pressure for domestic farming

Pork imported into Vietnam has an average price of 43,000 VND per kilogram, much lower than the price of domestic pigs, in the context of high volume of goods arriving.

According to the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the first 7 months of the year, Vietnam imported 112,090 tons of fresh, chilled or frozen pork, worth 185.54 million USD. Import volume increased by 27.1%, but value decreased by 20.9% over the same period last year.

Vietnam imports pork from 19 markets, of which Brazil accounts for 44.5% of the total volume, followed by Russia, Spain, Germany and other markets.

The average import price is only about 1,638 USD per ton, equivalent to 43,000 VND per kg, down 38.4% over the same period in 2025. This level is about 25-28% lower than the domestic pork price and significantly lower than the price of mixed pork, currently popular at 70,000-145,000 VND per kg.

The price of imported pigs has dropped sharply, according to import businesses, due to abundant supply in the world. Brazil, accounting for 44.5% of Vietnam's total pork imports in 7 months, is the largest supply source and has an advantage in production costs.

According to USDA, Brazilian pork production in 2026 is forecast to reach 4.9 million tons, an increase of 3%, thanks to abundant food sources and increased international demand. The country leads the world in soybean production, with output in the 2025-2026 crop accounting for about 42% of the world; Corn supply is also abundant, prices in March decreased by 21% compared to the same period in 2025, contributing to reducing livestock input costs.

According to Mr. Nguyen Kim Doan, Vice President of Dong Nai Livestock Association, the price of live pigs in Brazil, the largest supply market for Vietnam, is currently only half of the domestic price.

According to him, low prices from imported sources, along with a sharp increase in the amount of meat coming to Vietnam, are creating more competitive pressure for domestic livestock farmers, especially when purchasing power has not really recovered.

Pressure on farmers also comes from input costs. Since the beginning of the year until now, the price of bran has increased many times, causing the cost of farming to increase by about 300,000 VND for each 100 kg of live pigs.

Meanwhile, the current market price of live pigs is 57,000-60,000 VND per kg, causing many households to begin to suffer losses and tend to sell early to limit risks.

Mr. Guess said summer is usually the low season for the pork market because many people are vegetarians and students are on summer vacation. Weak purchasing power while abundant supply puts live pig prices under more pressure. In the short term, he forecasts that pork prices may increase slightly within a narrow range when the summer ends. Purchasing power from collective kitchens and traditional markets is expected to recover, thereby supporting prices.