A 500-pig farm in Dong Nai records slow growth and abnormal losses. Testing the feed in use finds protein 30% below label claims plus banned antibiotic residues. The farm sues the supplier — but the “contract” is… Zalo messages and handwritten delivery notes. Feed is 60–70% of livestock production cost, and the most fraud-prone input.
Legal framework: the 2018 Livestock Law
The Law on Animal Husbandry 32/2018/QH14 (effective 01/01/2020) governs animal feed from production and trading to use: feed mills must meet conditions, products must declare standards and label correctly. Feed directly affects food safety (meat, eggs, milk) — regulated no less strictly than human food.
Antibiotics in feed: the phase-out roadmap
The tightest squeeze: the law phases out growth-promoting antibiotics in animal feed — antibiotics allowed only for disease prevention and treatment per veterinary prescription, with withdrawal periods before slaughter. Antibiotic residues in meat block exports and threaten public health (antimicrobial resistance). Farms using feed with banned antibiotics face fines and lost markets upon detection.
Feed quality fraud
Common forms: overstated protein/energy content; banned lean-meat agents; reused packaging and counterfeit brands. Farm defenses: buy from reputable mills and agents with invoices; periodically test feed samples; and most importantly — written purchase contracts fixing quality specs, non-conformity remedies, and independent-testing rights.
Liability when incidents strike
When substandard feed harms livestock, feed manufacturers/traders must compensate if causation is proven (test results, herd health records, other causes excluded). Proving causation is very hard without retained samples and complete records — large farms should retain samples of each incoming lot and keep detailed farming logs.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can we claim without a written contract for feed bought via chat apps?
Very hard. Messages and handwritten notes are weak evidence; with no agreed quality specs, there is no breach baseline. Large-value feed purchases need written contracts — the cheapest self-protection available.
2. Which antibiotics are allowed in animal feed?
Only antibiotics permitted for disease prevention/treatment per prescription, respecting doses and withdrawal times. Growth-promoting antibiotics are banned on the legal phase-out roadmap. Follow the veterinary authority’s current lists.
3. Do farms mixing their own feed face requirements?
Yes. Self-mixing for internal use still requires safe ingredients, no banned substances, and feed-management compliance. Mixing for sale becomes feed production/trading, subject to full conditions.
