The Veterinary Department in Dong Nai Province on March 20 set up inspection teams to check all veterinary medicine and animal feed manufacturing units in the province to uncover any illicit activities and penalise violators.
Accordingly, the inspection teams will take samples from livestock and poultry and check livestock farms, slaughter houses as well as ask breeders not to use poisonous and harmful chemicals in livestock feed.
Currently there are about 300 animal medicine producing units and retail shops in the province. Earlier, provincial authorities had caught many persons illegally transporting toxic chemicals to livestock breeders.
Many breeders have in the past used toxic substances to stimulate quick growth of lean meat in pigs for lucrative profits, said a trader in Dong Nai Province.
Toxic substances that increase lean meat in pigs also increase water content in pigs, thus increasing bulk weight, which ensures more profits. Authorities have also caught some local animal feed producers storing large quantities of toxic agents that induce lean-meat in pigs.
The inspection campaign will continue until May 2, 2012.
