Role of Livestock Production in Farm Households’ Economy and Challenges in Perspective of Sustainable Development

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
Livestock production sector plays an important role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam (it represents about 30% of agricultural GDP). In the period of 2011
-2015, the livestock sector has a high growth rate, about 4,5-5% annually. In 2015, the total value of livestock production of the nation is about 205,44 thousand billion dongs. Pigs, poultry, and dairy cattle production have grown rapidly over some last years (annual growth rate of pork, poultry meat, egg, and milk production from 2011-2015 were 2.7%; 10%;7.56%, and 22.1%, respectively). The animal-origin products meet basically the domestic consumption demand, some products even were exported to other countries (Hoang Thanh Van, 2016). In 2013, Vietnam had exported about 40,000 tones de pork (Statica, 2016). Livestock production not only provides enough food for domestic consumers demand (at least 10% of per capita calorie intake of consumers provided by livestock products), but also generates employment and income for a high number of farmers in rural areas (about 6.5 million households or 42% total households in rural areas engaged in livestock production, and shares about 14% in total household income) (Lucila Lapar, Ma., 2015). In the coming years, livestock production sector in Vietnam will be projected to rise due to the rapid increase of consumption demand in the domestic market. However, there will be certainly the ignore difficulties for its development in term of sustainable development.