Farmers in Dong Nai City, a major livestock-producing region, said live pig prices had dropped to VND 46,000-48,000 per kilogramme, putting significant pressure on producers.
Overweight pigs, which are harder to sell because of their higher fat content and lower meat quality, are fetching around VND 45,000 per kilogramme.
Prices have also fallen elsewhere. In Can Tho, live pigs are trading at VND 45,000-48,000 per kilogramme, while prices in central Vietnam have dropped by VND 1,000 to around VND 48,000.
Farmers face shrinking profits
According to Nguyen Nam, a pig farmer in Quy Nhon Ward, Gia Lai Province, he sold 40 pigs three weeks ago for VND 52,000 per kilogramme.
Prices have since fallen to VND 47,000-48,000, and traders have become increasingly difficult to find.
"After four months of raising them, I made very little profit, but I was relieved just to sell them," Nam said.
Nam bought the piglets in mid-June for VND 2.3 million each. Over nearly four months, he spent more than VND 3.2 million per animal on feed, around VND 120,000 on veterinary medicines and VND 100,000 on electricity and water.
Each pig weighed an average of 112.5 kilogrammes, bringing in approximately VND 5.8 million at the selling price of VND 52,000 per kilogramme.
After deducting costs, Nam earned just VND 80,000 per pig, or VND 3.2 million for the entire herd.
That figure excluded bank interest and his own labour.
"If I calculated labour costs at just VND 5 million a month, I would have lost nearly VND 15 million," he added.
Nguyen Quoc Dat, vice chairman of the Vietnam Livestock Association, said the livestock industry played an important role in the economy and social welfare.
He said Vietnam ranked fifth globally in pig herd size, sixth in pork production and fourth in pork consumption.
The national pig herd grew from 28 million in 2021 to 31.5 million in 2025.
Pork consumption has also increased, from 42.9 kilogrammes per person annually in 2021 to 48.3 kilogrammes in 2023 and 52.9 kilogrammes in 2025, a rise of 23.3 per cent over the period.
Despite growing demand, many farmers are struggling to make a profit as feed costs remain high and live pig prices decline.
Dat noted that current purchasing prices were the lowest in five years.
Nguyen Kim Doan, vice chairman of the Dong Nai Livestock Association, estimated pig production costs at VND 55,000-58,000 per kilogramme, depending on the farm.
At selling prices below VND 50,000 per kilogramme, many producers face substantial losses, he said.
Farmers are also contending with disease risks, competition from cheaper imported meat and changing consumer preferences, including growing acceptance of frozen products.
Doan urged producers to review their farming practices, cut costs, improve productivity and strengthen disease prevention.
Reducing feed costs to limit losses
La Van Kinh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Animal Feed Association, said large livestock companies were expanding their farming operations while small and medium-sized farms were increasingly struggling to remain competitive.
Feed accounts for around 65 per cent of pig production costs, while piglets, veterinary medicines, disinfectants and vaccines each account for about 10 per cent. Labour and other expenses make up the remaining 15 per cent.
Kinh said reducing feed costs was essential, particularly through improving energy efficiency and optimising protein levels in animal diets.
However, such changes often require technical expertise that small-scale farmers struggle to access.
Accoridng to Le Viet Bao, deputy head of Ho Chi Minh City's livestock and veterinary authority, producers were facing mounting pressure from urbanisation, rising input costs, disease outbreaks and unstable markets.
Ho Chi Minh City currently has more than 1.31 million pigs, 97,503 cattle and buffaloes, over 21 million poultry and nearly 40,000 goats and sheep.
Although household farms account for more than 72 per cent of pig farming establishments, they hold only 3.2 per cent of the city's pig herd. By contrast, 247 large farms account for 76.4 per cent.
Bao said smaller farms were particularly vulnerable because of shrinking land availability, rising production costs, fluctuating selling prices and limited access to technology.
Weak links with buyers also leave many farmers dependent on traders.
To support producers, Ho Chi Minh City has introduced measures covering preferential loans, interest subsidies, infrastructure improvements, technology adoption and disease prevention.
Support includes VietGAP certification, disease-free farming certification, vaccination assistance and investment in shared facilities.
The city is also promoting better breeding practices, mechanisation and the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, geographic information systems (GIS) and artificial intelligence to manage livestock and monitor diseases.
Authorities are encouraging farmers to form cooperative groups and cooperatives to purchase supplies collectively, reduce costs, standardise production and secure purchasing contracts.
Ho Chi Minh City aims for more than 40 per cent of livestock production value to come through cooperative arrangements, helping smaller producers secure markets and improve their long-term competitiveness.
