QUANG BINH — Thousands of buffaloes and cows have been imported from Thailand without going through quarantine procedures, a media report said.
The regulation on a 15-day quarantine period was not being imposed at the Cha Lo Border Gate in central Quang Binh Province's Minh Hoa District, a report in the Nong thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper said.
The official excuse was the long distance between the Animal Health Department and the segregation areas made the cost and transportation of food for the stock expensive.
Quarantine certificates were being issue within as few as 1-7 days, the report said.
Importing livestock can be lucrative. One buffalo or cow can be bought for VND10 million ($523) in Thailand and sold for VND15-20 million ($785-1,046) in Viet Nam.
As many 10,000 buffaloes and cows crossed the border in the first seven months of the year.
Under regulations, livestock must go through seven stages of a 15-day quarantine period, supervised by Cha Lo Border Gate's Customs, Animal Health Agencies No 3 and the provincial Animal Health Department.
After 15 days, if segregated buffaloes and cows show no signs of disease, the owners receive quarantine certificates and the stock can be sold on the domestic market, the regulations state.
Violators are liable to a fine of VND15-20 million (US$785-1,046).
However, the rules were being ignored by agencies, the report said.
Provincial Animal Health Department head Pham Hong Son said "We just issue quarantine certificates for companies after the Animal Health Agency No 3 finish all quarantine procedures for animals and send files to us."
If animals had diseases, responsibilities belonged with the agency, Son said.
Besides, he said, the department and agency faced many difficulties in quarantining animals. Transporting feed for animals for 15 days was expensive, he said.
"We have submitted a proposal to building one concentrated segregated station in the Khe Ve area in Minh Hoa District," he said. — VNS
