According to Viet Nam News, Tran Vinh Tuyen, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee, has directed relevant departments and sectors to co-operate closely to implement the programme on tracing the origin of pork.

He has instructed the Departments of Justice and Industry and Trade and the Food Safety Management Board to support the two markets’ managements and ban pork without the traceable rings as stipulated in the programme.

He has assigned the Market Management Department and the police to work with Long An Province and other relevant authorities and be tough with traders who transport pigs and pork to the city without licences or invoices and other documents and crack down on fraudulent practices like pumping water into pigs to increase their weight.

He ordered relevant agencies and the two wholesales markets to also crack down on traders who fail to comply with regulations.

The city would continue to subsidise 50 per cent of the cost of identification rings in the case of small household farmers and 100 per cent in the case of co-operative teams and co-operatives until 31 December this year, he said.

Controlling and tracing the origins of food products are vital for protecting consumers’ health, he said.

The city is a pioneer in this and so difficulties and challenges are unavoidable, he said.

"Therefore, relevant departments and agencies need to be patient and widely publicise the programme to ensure more consumers and stakeholders understand its purpose," he added.