A record 30,000 tonnes ofpork was shipped offshore last year, and the sector wants to send 50,000 tonnes this year.

Markets will include Russia, Japan and the Republic ofKorea. Pork is already popular in Vie t Nam, accounting for 77 per cent of meatconsumption over the past five years. The world average is far lower, at 43 per cent.

Vietnamese people eat an average of 18-23kg of pork percapita. Pig farmers have been steadily increasing their output, turning out 1.5 milliontonnes annually last year -up on 1996's output of 1.1 million tonnes.

The Government has been working hard to build thecountry's cattle herd. Viet Nam is now home to 21.5 million pigs, 4.2 million cows, 2.9million buffaloes, 160 million chickens and 52 million ducks.

This is 1.5 times higher than five years ago. TheGovernment has also encouraged farmers to study cattle farming and learn how to establishhigh quality and large-scale farms.