Those who produce or trade substandard animal and poultry products will be subject to a fine up to 200 million VND (9,600 USD).

This will be a rule if a draft decree currently being mapped out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is approved.

Agricultural officials hope that the increased fines – up to 10 times higher than the previous levels – will deter farmers and traders from committing acts that harm public health.

Currently, animal health inspectors met many obstacles in detecting violations, said Nguyen Thu Thuy, deputy director of MARD’s Animal Health Department.

For example, she said, most violations related to illegal animal products often occur after working hours.
The draft document outlines higher fines for several violations within the sector.

For those who pump water or other substances into animals within 24 hours of slaughter to earn higher profits will be fined 5-6 million VND (230-280 USD).

Experts also said that while the livestock sector has seen steady growth of 7-8 percent per year, it also faces a number of risks, such as ineffective breed management, which could decrease biological diversity.

Le Ba Lich, chairman of the Vietnam Feed Association, proposed that regarding the first punishment for both enterprises and manufacturers, their violations should be announced in the media.

“Under the draft decree, the first punishment is a warning, but a fine of a few dozens dong is too low to frighten an enterprise. A firm is only scared by the idea of losing its trademark,” he said.

Lich also wondered whether the vaccine manufacturer or the animal health department was responsible for compensating breeders if an animal died after being vaccinated.-VNA