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As World Shifts Away from Meat, Pork Shortage Worries Vietnam

Ha Nguyen

   HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnam is being hit by a pork shortage, brought on
   by the scourge of swine fever and the U.S.-Chinese trade war, just
   before Tet, the Lunar New Year-- a holiday in which pork plays a key
   role-- approaches.
   The swine fever virus has been spreading through Asia and devastating
   pig populations in a number of countries. It is estimated that
   one-fourth of the global supply of pigs has died this year. Meanwhile,
   the trade war has made imported U.S. pork more expensive in China,
   which has turned to Vietnam and other sources, cutting into the supply
   in Vietnam.
   Vietnamese are concerned that the country could be short of $1.3
   billion worth of pork by next month, just before Tet, the Vietnamese
   New Year.

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