Vietnam will cease importing buffaloes and cattle from certain neighboring countries if they do not end their illegal trade of livestock, an official has said.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is considering sending an official document to Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand to inform them that if they do not cease the smuggling of buffaloes and cattle, then Vietnam will temporarily cease the import of livestock from these countries in early 2023,” Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien told a press briefing on December 30 about the agriculture sector’s performance in 2022.

Related to recent public concern about the illegal importation from neighboring countries of buffaloes and cattle fed banned substances that help with rapid weight gain, Head of the ministry’s Department of Animal Health Nguyen Van Long said the department has requested counterpart agencies in those countries to provide information on animal disease and the prevention of the use of banned substances in livestock raising.

“The department has also provided 5,000 kit tests for localities to strictly examine the slaughtering of buffaloes and cattle around the country,” he said.

The Department of Animal Health sent a working delegation to Thailand in November to monitor the status of animal disease and livestock breeding to identify proper solutions to resolve the issue.

It is also working with the police force to strictly handle the illegal importation of buffaloes and cattle into Vietnam.

The ministry previously sent documents to People’s Committees of cities and provinces, especially those in the central region, requesting that they strictly control and handle violations related to the illegal trade and transportation of live buffaloes and cattle into Vietnam.

“The ministry will strictly handle the issue,” Mr. Tien said. “If the smuggling of buffaloes and cattle and the use of banned substances for weight gain are not controlled in these countries, Vietnam will ban the importation of livestock.”