Tuyen Quang protects pig herds through contact-free farming

The family of Nguyen Thi Tham (Tan Trao village, Tan Thanh commune, Tuyen Quang province) is among the pioneers in implementing the contact-free farming model on their pig herd.

“In previous years, each time an outbreak occurred, almost the entire village was left empty-handed. Some households lost hundreds or even thousands of pigs. For farmers, every epidemic meant losing all their capital and effort. Therefore, when the provincial Sub-Department of Livestock Production, Animal Health, and Fisheries introduced the contact-free livestock model, I was among the first to sign up,” Tham said.

Having nearly 100 pigs, her family renovated the barn, set up barriers, and arranged separate spaces to minimize contact between pigs and people, as well as other animals and objects that could carry pathogens. All equipment, feed, and vehicles entering the area are thoroughly disinfected. The pigpens are tightly covered with nets, regularly sprayed with disinfectant, and the water and feed sources are strictly controlled.

“At first, applying the model was quite a challenge,” she said, “but now, seeing our pigs staying healthy and eating well while other households still suffer losses, I feel every bit of effort was worth it.” Her pig herd is now stable and nearly ready for sale, promising a successful farming season.

In Truong Sinh commune, Tran Thi Hoa Dung from Phu Thinh village also experienced severe losses due to past epidemics. Dung used to raise more than 100 market pigs and 20 sows, but during the recent African swine fever outbreak, her entire herd was infected and had to be culled.

Learning from experience, she starts performing complete barn disinfection, sprays sanitizers, scatters lime powder, and rebuids the drainage and waste treatment systems. Before restocking, she plans to install a system of protective net and disinfection trench. She also follows the contact-free livestock procedure to ensure biosecurity. “For farmers, just one outbreak can wipe out all the savings we’ve built up over years, so prevention is the best protection,” she said.

According to the Tuyen Quang Sub-Department of Livestock Production, Animal Health, and Fisheries, over 191,000 pigs infected with African swine fever had been culled as of October 2025, totaling more than 9,400 tons of meat lost, affecting 18,061 households in 1,966 villages and 117 communes. These numbers reveal the serious impact of the epidemic and underscore the importance of modifying livestock practices to prioritize biosecurity.

“Biosecure farming, especially the contact-free model, has proven highly effective in disease control. In areas where the model is well implemented, African swine fever has been contained and prevented from spreading widely,” said Le Hai Nam, head of the Sub-Department.

Many households in Tuyen Quang have now adopted measures such as regular cleaning, disinfection, isolation of barns following the principle of “household-to-household, village-to-village” separation, and strict control of people and vehicles entering farming zones. As of now, 31 communes in the province have gone 21 days without new cases, with 22 communes officially declared disease-free.

Reality has shown that the contact-free livestock model is not only an emergency response to disease outbreaks but also a sustainable direction that helps this province’s livestock sector develop stably and effectively, contributing to building a safe and modern agriculture.

Tuyen Quang currently has more than 140 certified livestock and aquaculture farms, including one meeting GlobalGAP international standards, two recognized as high-tech farms, nine certified for large-scale livestock production, 51 facilities certified under VietGAP or equivalent standards, and ten certified as disease-free.

In the first months of 2025, African swine fever has resurged in many provinces and cities across Viet Nam. This is not the first time the country has faced the disease. Since 2019, ASF has repeatedly caused devastating losses, leaving tens of thousands of livestock households bankrupt and forcing them to abandon pig farming.

Although Viet Nam has licensed three ASF vaccines for circulation, recent sample analyses indicate that the virus has mutated domestically, becoming more virulent and complicating disease control and vaccination efforts. This underscores the urgent need for sustainable solutions that go beyond relying solely on vaccines.

Amid this situation, the “contact-free livestock” model has emerged as a new and promising approach, highly valued for its effectiveness and applicability. Essentially, the model represents a higher level of biosecurity by preventing any direct contact between pathogens and livestock.