Three Pig Farms in Dong Nai Under Police Investigation for Using Banned Growth Substances

Authorities in Dong Nai, Vietnam, have transferred three pig farms to the police for investigation after discovering the widespread use of banned substances to promote rapid weight gain in livestock. The farms, owned by Ngo Thi Lan Huong, Nguyen Van Huy, and Nguyen Huynh Thach Thao, were found to be using Salbutamol, a beta-agonist, in animal feed.

“

The farms used banned substances in animal husbandry (Salbutamol belonging to the Beta agonist group).

Inspections conducted between July 28 and August 5 revealed that all four inspected farms were employing these prohibited substances. Huong's farms housed 219 pigs weighing 120-150 kg, while Thao's farm had 1,067 pigs and Huy's farm had 715 pigs, some of which were also suffering from African Swine Fever. These farms were reportedly purchasing pigs at 90-100 kg and then administering the banned drugs to accelerate growth for higher profits.

“

These farms all raised pigs for fattening.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Dong Nai noted that the individuals involved failed to register their farming activities. Given the potential violations of food safety regulations and the dangerous nature of the substances used, the department has handed over the cases of Huong, Huy, and Thao to the investigative police of Dong Nai City. The police are currently processing the information and have requested relevant documents from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Dong Nai is a major pig-farming region in Vietnam, with a total herd of approximately 3.9 million pigs.

“

The individuals did not register their livestock farming; they bought pigs weighing 90-100 kg and then used banned substances in animal husbandry (Beta-agonist group) mixed with feed for the pigs to gain weight quickly for profit.