Vietnam intensifies crackdown on illegal antibiotic use in livestock and seafood

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is stepping up enforcement against illegal antibiotic practices in farming and seafood production, focusing on tighter regulation and criminal investigations to safeguard exports and public health.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has stepped up pressure on illegal antibiotic use in livestock and aquaculture, ordering tighter scrutiny of veterinary drug production, imports, distribution and application, including the sale and use of antibiotic ingredients.

According to Asian Agribiz, the move responds to persistent breaches ranging from counterfeit and substandard veterinary medicines to unauthorised online sales and warnings from import markets over antibiotic residues in Vietnamese seafood. Provincial authorities have been told to intensify inspections of manufacturers, importers, distributors and farms, with a particular focus on antibiotic use in poultry, pig and aquaculture operations.

The wider policy direction is not new. Vietnam has already been building a regulatory framework to curb antimicrobial resistance in farming, including a national action plan for 2021-2025. FAO has said the country uses about 2,751 tonnes of antimicrobials a year in animal production, with pig and poultry sectors accounting for the largest share.

VietnamNet previously reported plans to phase out antibiotics in livestock feed, while VietFish Magazine said regulators had found residues including Enrofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Ofloxacin and Chloramphenicol in seafood samples. The latest directive suggests Hanoi is now placing greater emphasis on enforcement, including criminal investigation of serious violations, as it seeks to protect export access and consumer confidence.

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