First National Conference on Livestock, Veterinary Science & Tech set for March 27-28

Around 750 delegates expected to attend

On the afternoon of March 23, the MAE held a press briefing to provide information on the first National Conference on Livestock and Veterinary Science and Technology, scheduled to take place from March 27 to 28, 2026, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi.

This is the first national-scale scientific and technological conference in the field of livestock and veterinary science, aimed at comprehensively reviewing research and application results in science and technology for the 2021-2025 period, while also setting out development orientations for the sector for 2026-2030 in line with the requirements of innovation and digital transformation.

The conference is being held at a time when the livestock and veterinary sector plays a pivotal role, contributing approximately 26-28% of the agricultural sector's total value, while also facing numerous challenges related to disease, food safety, the environment, and competitiveness. The organization of the conference also seeks to concretize the spirit of Politburo Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation.

According to the Organizing Committee, the conference is expected to bring together approximately 750 delegates, including leaders of central agencies, ministries, sectors, and localities, as well as representatives from research institutes, universities, businesses, industry associations, and international organizations.

The conference will feature a plenary session on the morning of March 28, focusing on reviewing scientific and technological achievements for the 2021 - 2025 period and outlining development orientations for 2026–2030, along with presentations by businesses and experts. Six thematic sessions will take place on the afternoon of March 28, covering science and technology related to swine, poultry, ruminants, and other livestock; animal health; vaccine and veterinary biological technologies; antimicrobial resistance; food safety; and related issues.

The discussion sessions will focus on proposing solutions in areas such as breeding, technology, disease management, food safety, and digital transformation, thereby enhancing the sector's competitiveness.

The 'science festival' of the livestock production and animal health sector

Providing further information about the conference, Nguyen Van Long, Director General of the Department of Science and Technology under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said that in order to organize the first National Conference on Livestock and Veterinary Science and Technology, the ministry’s leadership, particularly Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, had provided consistent direction over many years, especially in the field of science and technology.

According to Long, this is the first national-level conference on science and technology in the livestock and veterinary field since the MAE officially came into operation on March 1, 2025.

The conference is an important occasion to report to the Party, the State, and the public on the outstanding achievements of the livestock and veterinary sector over the past 80 years, and to review the results in science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation during the 2021-1025 period.

In addition, the conference will serve as a forum to share achievements of domestic and international scientists and to exchange experiences in leadership and management, from research to production and market development.

The press briefing on the conference attracted a large number of managers, experts, scientists, businesses, and media agencies.

Notably, the event is expected to help shape strategic science and technology orientations for the livestock and veterinary sector in the coming period, while also affirming the role of close coordination among the “three pillars” - the State, scientists, and enterprises - in effectively translating research results into practical production.

Long expressed hope that the conference would become a “science festival” for the livestock and veterinary sector, helping ensure that science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation truly become driving forces for the sector’s development in the coming period.

The exhibition serves as the convergence place of 'science and market'

Providing additional details, Le Trong Dam, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of VAN News, said that a key highlight of this year’s conference, in addition to in-depth discussion sessions, is a science and technology exhibition area featuring around 20 booths showcasing achievements, products, and new solutions in the livestock and veterinary sector.

In particular, many of the products on display come from the private enterprise sector, which is playing an increasingly important role in innovation and technology commercialization. The exhibition area is expected to be a place where “science meets the market,” where research results are tested through practical application.

According to the Organizing Committee, notable participating units are expected to include TH Group, De Heus, Hung Nhon, BAF Viet Nam, GreenFeed, C.P. Viet Nam, Vinamilk, Hanvet, and VMC Viet Nam, as well as institutes, universities, and science and technology organizations. The exhibition space is expected to become a platform connecting research with the market, promoting technology transfer, investment cooperation, and the dissemination of effective models.

The conference is not only an academic forum but also aims to deliver practical value for production through proposing improvements to mechanisms and policies, shaping key science and technology programs, and promoting innovation and digital transformation across the entire sector. The outcomes of the conference are expected to contribute to the development of the livestock and veterinary sector toward modernization, biosecurity, sustainability, and climate change adaptation.

Renew the sector

The conference will be widely covered across the press, television, and social media platforms to disseminate research results, effective models, and development orientations of the livestock and veterinary sector to the business community, farmers, and society at large.

Phan Quang Minh, Deputy Director General of the Department of Animal Health and Production (DAHP), said the conference holds particular significance as it is the first national-level scientific conference in the 2021-2025 period to provide a comprehensive assessment of the livestock and veterinary sector. It serves as a forum bringing together more than 750 delegates, including managers, scientists, enterprises, local authorities, and international organizations.

According to Minh, the livestock and veterinary sector currently contributes approximately 26-28% of agricultural GDP, playing a pillar role in ensuring food security and livelihoods for millions of people.

However, the sector faces major challenges, including a high proportion of small-scale household farming, dependence on imported breeds and inputs, persistent risks of dangerous and complex disease outbreaks, uneven veterinary capacity at the grassroots level, increasing pressure related to antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and environmental issues, as well as limitations in digital transformation and value chain linkages.

Meanwhile, the requirements set out in the Livestock Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, are very high, calling for modernization and industrialization across the entire value chain, effective disease control, and enhanced competitiveness toward export markets. Therefore, the role of science and technology is critically important. Minh emphasized that science, technology, and innovation must become central drivers, requiring a strong shift from experience-based production to technology-, data-, and risk-management-based production.

For the 2026-2030 period, the livestock and veterinary sector needs to focus on several major orientations, including the development of high-quality livestock breeds and gradual mastery of technologies to reduce dependence on imports; innovation in feed and nutrition technologies to lower costs and improve efficiency; strengthening disease prevention and control capacity, particularly through vaccine development and modern disease surveillance systems; controlling antimicrobial resistance, ensuring food safety and traceability; promoting digital transformation across the sector through database development and technology application in management; developing sustainable livestock production and circular economy models associated with environmental protection; and strengthening linkages among the State, scientists, and enterprises.

Speaking at the press briefing, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien said that over the past 10 years, livestock has been the sector with the highest and most stable growth in value added within agriculture, at around 4.5-6.5% per year.

Viet Nam’s livestock population is currently large, with approximately 31 million pigs, more than 500 million poultry, 2 million buffalo, over 6 million cattle, and around 2.8 million goats and sheep. The sector ensures food supply for about 100 million people and approximately 20 million tourists annually, while also creating room for further development in the coming period.

Science and technology in the livestock and veterinary sector have achieved many important accomplishments, laying the foundation for sustainable development. Advances in breeding, housing systems, farming methods, and feed production technologies have improved productivity, quality, and efficiency.

In particular, in the field of vaccines, Viet Nam has made its mark by becoming one of the pioneering countries to successfully research and produce a vaccine against African swine fever. These achievements affirm the key role of science and technology in enhancing disease prevention and control capacity and promoting the development of a modern, safe, and sustainable livestock and veterinary sector.

In the coming period, the Deputy Minister emphasized the need for the sector to continuously update and apply modern technologies in housing systems, while tightening biosecurity processes in association with digital transformation, database development, and the establishment of synchronized traceability systems. Large corporations and enterprises are expected to play a leading role in this process.

At the same time, although the vaccine sector has achieved important results, it still requires continued investment in research and innovation. Science and technology activities must be closely linked with enterprises to accelerate technology transfer into production and improve practical effectiveness.

The Deputy Minister also called on regulatory agencies to maintain a firm grasp of technological capabilities across the entire value chain, from breeding and feed to veterinary disease prevention, slaughter, and processing, to provide appropriate and effective management orientations aligned with the sector’s development needs in the new context.

“Viet Nam’s livestock and veterinary sector has enormous potential, but to become the kitchen of the world, we must reinvent ourselves,” Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized.

From March 27 to 28, the MAE will organize the first National Conference on Livestock and Veterinary Science and Technology with the participation of leaders from National Assembly bodies, the Government Office, relevant ministries and sectors, management agencies, associations, enterprises, and scientists in the livestock and veterinary sector nationwide. The conference will take place at the National Convention Center on Pham Hung Street, Tu Liem Ward, Hanoi.

VAN News will provide live coverage of this important event.