High-Tech Livestock Farming: Together We Win

Livestock farming in Vietnam remains largely small-scale, with low productivity, inconsistent quality, and particularly serious environmental pollution. High-tech livestock farming presents a solution that can lead businesses to success and has become an inevitable investment direction.

Pig Farming as a Prime Example

Pig farming has been at the forefront of adopting high-tech solutions. Recently, this sector has relied heavily on industrial feed, and in many areas, antibiotics are still used to stimulate growth. While this boosts meat production, it doesn’t proportionally increase profits due to stagnant market prices. As a result, businesses are seeking to differentiate themselves by producing high-quality products using advanced farming technologies.

Organic pig farming models have appeared in many localities. Some farms apply Japan’s Effective Microorganism (EM) technology, fermenting ingredients like rice bran, soybeans, and corn to produce enzymes beneficial for digestion and immunity. This results in more flavorful feed that encourages pigs to eat more without needing industrial additives.

Model of Scale: Lộc Phát Farm

Located about 5 km from Hoa Lu International Border Gate (Lộc Ninh), near the Vietnam–Cambodia border, Lộc Phát Private Enterprise’s pig farm in Bình Phước Province is considered one of the largest and most modern in Southeast Asia. Covering 54 hectares, the farm includes a 10-hectare breeding center and a buffer zone planted with various crops that generate additional income. The total investment reached nearly USD 6 million (over VND 130 billion).

Emerging Industry Leaders

In egg production, DTK Phu Tho Clean Egg Factory applies advanced breeding technologies from Japan, the U.S., and Israel. The entire production process ensures biosafety, resulting in clean, fresh, and nutritious eggs of high quality for consumers.

The cattle farming sector has also achieved significant progress. Ms. Thái Hương, head of TH Group, once stated:
“In terms of soil, if Israel scores 50%, Vietnam scores 100%. But in science and technology, Israel scores 100%, while Vietnam only manages 30%. By acquiring their technological know-how, we gain a potential of up to 230% for success.”

Overall, most successful livestock businesses are following the high-tech path. The main question is whether such investments are efficient. For instance, the Clean Egg Factory in Phu Tho had a total investment of VND 800 billion, fully funded by a Vietnamese enterprise — a considerable financial burden. Beyond land, equipment, and construction, high-tech farming also demands enormous spending on breeding stock and feed — often 10 times the infrastructure investment.

Linkage: A Practical Solution

To address capital concerns, the “Four-party Linkage” model is seen as the most viable:

  • The Government supports land and offers preferential loans,
  • Input suppliers provide breeds and feed,
  • Consumers and distributors handle product output.

Take Lộc Phát’s pig farm in Bình Phước: with an investment of VND 130 billion and a target of 25,000 pigs, the cost of feed and stock alone could reach trillions of dong per year — unmanageable for a small provincial business. However, by partnering with CP Group under a contract-farming model (supplying feed and stock), the farm resolved its capital issues and by 2016 became one of CP’s most productive satellite farms in Asia.

The Need for Unity

Still, such cooperative models like CP’s are not yet widespread. Foreign experts point out that Vietnam’s livestock sector suffers from a “go-it-alone” mindset — “every man for himself,” where big players overwhelm smaller ones. There’s a lack of solidarity, shared responsibility, and profit-sharing.

Clearly, while high-tech farming requires significant investment, if stakeholders can form a value chain and each contributes part of the capital — working together for mutual benefit and success — then funding becomes less of a burden. More businesses will be able to adopt high-tech farming. This also gives consumers greater access to high-quality, safe agricultural products.