Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development

Project Progress Report 004/05VIE: Diagnosis and control of diarrhoea in
suckling pigs
MS2: 1
st
SIX-MONTHLY REPORT
April 2006 – October 2006
1. Institute Information
Project Name
A blueprint for sustainable small holder pig production in
Central Vietnam
Vietnamese Institution
National Institute of Animal Husbandry (NIAH); Hue
University of Agriculture and Forestry (HUAF); National
Institute of Veterinary Research (NIVR)
Vietnamese Project Team Leader
Dr. Nguyen Que Coi


In Australia: Administrative contact
Name:
May Montecino
Telephone:
61 7 33652651
Position:
Manager Research Projects Office
Fax:
61 7 33651188
Organisation
School of Land and Food The
University of Qld
Email:


In Vietnam
Name:
Dr Nguyen Que Coi
Telephone:
84 4 7572803
Position:
Head of Department of Small
Livestock Research
Fax:
84 4 8389775
Organisation
NIAH
Email:


at the end of September 2006 to specifically review housing and farrowing pen design to enable
development of sustainable models for smallholder pig production in Central Vietnam, to discuss
and identify risk factors, and to distribute tasks and responsibilities.

Sub-optimal housing environment recorded on most farms appears to be a major factor limiting
smallholder pig production in Central Vietnam. Buildings were too hot, poorly ventilated with no
cross airflow, and farrowing accommodation was too hot for sows, while providing sub-optimal
environment for piglets and insufficient choice. Also floors were too wet in most farrowing pens.
Sheds that may provide a more suitable climate under local conditions are narrow, freestanding
structures with side wall openings one meter high along the length of the shed and tiles on the roof.
These appear to provide significant cross airflow in hot and humid weather. Temporary housing for
fatteners over rice flood plains integrated with duck farming was another system observed that may
be suitable in certain regions.

Integrated farming practices to be actively encouraged that seemed most appropriate to local
conditions combined biogas production using a Chinese digester with fish farming in which the
processed manure was used to raise fish in ponds or grow water plants, the surplus of which can be
directly fed back to the pigs.

Following completion of the survey, decisions will now be made on the types of model systems that
will be most appropriate to each province and the type of improved breeding stock to be introduced
(pure Mong Cai, F1 or F2 cross bred, or exotic sows). Farms will then be selected, facilities
upgraded and farmers will be encouraged to borrow money to purchase new breeding stock once
they have completed training programmes delivered by Vietnamese scientists.

4. Introduction & Background
In response to the increased demand for pork, Vietnamese small holder farmers in the
Central provinces have intensified their production system, while others have attempted to continue
to produce pigs in older, poorly designed facilities. As intensification has increased, so too have
disease problems, particularly in the pre-weaning stage, so it is not surprising that enteric diseases

commercial farms (30 to 100 sows) in each province will be selected for the survey and audit
process, which will be used to assess the standard of production and competency of farmers and
facilities. Prior to commencing the survey, Vietnamese scientists will be trained to visit farms and
interview the farmer and his/her family and collect required data on production and facilities.

Following the survey of selected farms in the three provinces, a workshop will be held at
Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry to identify the key risk factors that are negatively
influencing health and production. A set of priorities will then be established for improving
management, husbandry and housing on farms. This will result in the development of suitable
models for pig production incorporating modified and improved designs for housing, as well as
husbandry and management techniques. Once the full modules have been validated, a series of field
days will be held in each district, with extension service personnel and local veterinarians as
trainers. Selected farmers will also be invited to participate in “train the trainer workshops” so that
they can also participate in training other farmers through “farmer-to-farmer workshops” in each
area. The pig production farrow-to-sale training workshops will be tailored for the needs and
production systems followed.

Many of the poorer households use indigenous breeds of pig with the intention of crossing
them with exotic breeds to improve growth and performance in the F1 progeny. However, the local
breeds currently reared by small holder farmers perform very poorly. Of the three major breeds pure
Mong Cai have by far the best performance. High performance pure Mong Cai have been bred in
Bacgiang with an average litter size of 13-14 piglets (compared to 8-9 for the other indigenous
breeds) and a growth rate of 350-400g per day (compared to only 200-250g for the other breeds).
These results clearly show the robustness of the Mong Cai breed. Introduction of high quality, high
performance Mong Cai sows will provide the nucleus for a central coast pure Mong Cai breeding
zone collective. Pure Mong Cai gilts will be raised for downstream sale to other small holders for a
crossbreeding program using exotic breeds of boar. Hybrid vigour in F1 progeny will provide better
growth rates than the currently used indigenous breeds, but will be more adaptable to local
environmental conditions compared to exotic breeds of pig. This program will also maintain the
pure Mong Cai gene pool in the central coastal area.

training programmes to impart their knowledge and skills, firstly to veterinary extension workers
and then to farmers.
3) Planning and implementation workshop and field visits, Hue University of Agriculture and
Forestry: September 24
th
October 3
rd
2006. A workshop attended by Australian and Vietnamese
scientists was held in Hue in September 2006 to review the results of the questionnaire survey and
develop an action plan for the standardization of housing, farrowing crates, management techniques
and genetic stock to be used in small scale farming enterprises. This meeting finished just prior to
the typhoon hitting the central provinces, which has been a substantial drawback to further
development of the project. However, this does present an opportunity to build more appropriate,
standardized housing and restock with high performance pig breeds to improve production.
4) Small holder farmer survey and selection of farms for training and development September
2006-January 2007. Surveys for Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue were completed by Dr Duyet
and Mr Toan from HUAF just prior to the typhoon hitting the Central coast and are in the process of
being completed in Quang Tri and Binh Dinh provinces by NIAH and NIVR, respectively. Dr
Duyet and Mr Toan from HUAF will also make visits to Quang Tri and Binh Dinh to provide some
continuity of auditing with other trainees and a visit will be made by Dr Tony Fahy in January 2007
to confirm the selection of farms and audit the trainers. A pilot workshop (target group: veterinary
extension workers and large farm operators), with the training provided by Vietnamese under
supervision of Dr Fahy will be held at the conclusion of this field trip. Data collected from the
surveys will be analysed by SPSS program from the Netherlands and once the surveys are
completed for all farms, it will be entered into a web based questionnaire format to be developed in
early January by Mr Andrew Bennett from The University of Qld Web Design Services.

5.3 Smallholder Benefits
1) The first stage of the train the trainers approach has been initiated. Highly trained Vietnamese
scientists will now complete the small holder farm surveys and be competency tested (in country)


2) Several University news stories on training and development were published during the year:
a) The University of Qld: /> This story was picked up by The Veterinarian and Gatton Lockyer Brisbane Valley Star (attached)

b) The University of Sydney
/>

5.6 Project Management
Operational project management continues to be shared between the 7 institutes. Each Vietnamese
institute is responsible for conducting surveys and organising workshops in each of the provinces.
HUAF was responsible for delivering the September workshop. The Faculty Research Projects
Office in the School of Land and Food at The University of Queensland, who have many years
experience in managing international agricultural research projects, is responsible for administration
of the project.
6. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues
6.1 Environment
Integration of effluent disposal with other value adding industries is essential for minimising
impacts on the environment and maximising returns to the farmer. Several novel integrated
production systems were observed during the most recent site visit, especially the combined use of
digesters for biogas production, followed by the use of the processed manure in water plant and fish
production. Farmers with production sites over rice flood plains have built temporary housing for at
least two cycles of fattening pigs over the dry season, with the manure directly falling into the
paddies below together with the integration of duck production which serves a duel purpose of
weeding the rice crop. Once these are integrated into the pig production cycle by identifying the
most profitable pig breeds for each province with appropriate housing modifications to improve
ventilation, hygiene and most importantly the health of suckling piglets and training, significant
flow-on benefits to both the environment and farmers’ livelihoods are expected.
6.2 Gender and Social Issues
The results of the survey conducted in the four selected provinces will be analysed to specifically
profile the role of women and children in small holder pig production enterprises. One of the six

fattening model may be more appropriate with ducks as a sideline. More advanced farmers would
raise breeders +/- fatteners and some less skilled farmers would raise fatteners only. Clearly, pigs
kept in a poorly ventilated lean to at the back of the family home will never be profitable, no matter
how much effort is put into training and breed improvement. Completion of the remaining surveys
and dialogue with Vietnamese colleagues during the January site visit by Dr Tony Fahy will
contribute to finalising the types of systems to be tested.

b) Housing design: The project has allowed around $20,000 for capital improvements on the
selected farms (approximately $500 per farm if 40 are chosen). There is an urgent need to know
how far this subsidy will go and what minimum improvements will be required. Obviously,
farrowing crate design, creep area, drip cooling systems and ventilation are most critical to
achieving production targets. The cost of building from scratch needs to be determined and how
much to subsidise each farmer needs to be decided. All selected farmers need to be encouraged to
invest in their enterprise. It may be better to make a decision in February to choose fewer farms but
subsidise housing improvements with more money.

c) Choice of stock: A lot of vigorous debate occurred during workshop concerning breed choices,
with high growth rate and quality (leaness) of exotic breeds vs Mong Cai's durability under the
harsh conditions, but poor price and quality of meat, particularly in farming areas close to the cities.
It is important to take note of Dr Cargill's suggestions and experience in other pig production
projects, that in the early phases using Mong Cai or F1/F2 hybrids may be necessary until the
standard of husbandry, management and production improves to the point where profit can be
maximised by the introduction of exotic breeds with less risk of mortality and/or poor nutrition
affecting production and profit. The project will not subsidise the farmers for purchase of breeding
stock-instead farmers would have to organise to borrow money and the project should facilitate this
process through contact with local government agencies. A mixture of systems could be
investigated in the provinces such as the selection of six breeder +/- fattener operations (two
stocked with high performance Mong Cai sows-two with F1 or F2 hybrid sows and two with exotic
breeds) and four farms focused on fattener only per province. Training programmes could then be
tailored to each province and production system. What works in Binh Dinh or Quang Tri might be

located within the large piggeries identified and audited in each province, and a pilot workshop is
planned as part of 001/04VIE to be held in January 2007 in the Red River delta to determine the
appropriate size and level of training. In conclusion, the project is well placed to make significant
inroads, having trained Vietnamese scientists appropriately, familiarised Australian collaborators
with the current production systems and limitations in each province and developed a survey audit
and checklist to obtain accurate data on small holder operations and large piggeries within each
province.