Animal Husbandry Law 2018 (32/2018/QH14)

Pursuant to the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;

The National Assembly promulgates the Law on Livestock.

Chapter I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Law stipulates the activities of livestock raising; the rights and obligations of organizations and individuals in livestock activities; state management of livestock raising.

Article 2. Interpretation of terms

In this Law, the terms below are understood as follows:

1. Animal husbandry is an economic - technical sector that includes activities in the fields of livestock breeds, animal feed, husbandry conditions, processing, and the market for livestock products.

2. Livestock activities are raising animals for growth, breeding animals, and other activities related to animals and livestock products serving the purpose of food, draft power, ornamental use, or other human purposes.

3. Household livestock farming is a form of organizing livestock activities at the household level.

4. Farm livestock farming is a form of organizing concentrated livestock activities in a separate area dedicated to livestock production and business.

5. Livestock includes cattle, poultry, and other animals in animal husbandry.

6. Cattle are mammal species with four legs that humans have domesticated and raised.

7. Poultry are animals with two legs, covered with feathers, belonging to the group of winged animals that are domesticated and raised by humans.

8. Other animals in livestock farming are animals outside of livestock and poultry and outside the list of endangered, precious, rare species prioritized for protection, the list of endangered, precious, rare forest animals, common forest animals, aquatic animals, the list of wild forest animals included in the Appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

9. Livestock breed is a population of animals of the same species and origin, having similar appearance and genetic structure, formed, reinforced, and developed due to human influence; it must have a sufficient number to ensure breeding and passing on the breed characteristics to the next generation.

10. Line is a group of animals within a breed, carrying the common characteristics of the breed but possessing distinctive characteristics that have been stabilized.

11. A new breed of livestock is a breed that is newly created domestically or newly imported into Vietnam.

12. A rare and precious breed of livestock is a breed that has special scientific, medical, or economic value, but whose numbers are still few or threatened with extinction.

13. An indigenous breed of livestock is a breed that has formed and existed in a specific area within the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

14. The base breed is the great-grandparent level herd for pigs and poultry; the nucleus herd for other livestock breeds; the purebred herd for bees; the original breed for silkworms.

15. The great-grandparent level herd for pigs and poultry is a herd of purebred livestock or a herd that has been selected to produce the grandparent level herd.

16. The grandparent level herd for pigs and poultry is a herd of livestock born from the great-grandparent level herd intended to produce the parent level herd.

17. Parent-level breeding stock for pigs and poultry is the breeding stock born from grandparent-level breeding stock to produce commercial stock.

18. Nucleus breeding stock is the best breeding stock, with clear origin and provenance, raised and selected according to a specific process to achieve high genetic progress for producing breeding stock.

19. Multiplier breeding stock is breeding stock produced by nucleus breeding stock to produce commercial stock or selected to supplement nucleus breeding stock.

20. Commercial stock is livestock born from parent-level breeding stock or from multiplier breeding stock.

21. Genetic resources of livestock are living animals and their breeding products that carry genetic information capable of creating or participating in creating new livestock breeds.

22. Livestock pedigree is a record that shows the blood relationship of an individual animal with its ancestors.

23. Breeding products of livestock include breeding animals, semen, embryos, eggs, larvae, and other genetic materials extracted from livestock.

24. Creating lines or breeds of livestock is the selection and breeding or using scientific methods and technical measures to produce a new line or breed of livestock.

25. Animal feed is products that livestock eat or drink, either fresh, raw, or processed, including complete mixed feed, concentrated feed, supplementary feed, and traditional feed.

26. Complete compound feed is a mixture of feed ingredients that is formulated to provide sufficient nutrients to maintain the life activities and production capacity of livestock at each growth stage or production cycle without the need for additional feed other than drinking water.

27. Concentrated feed is a mixture of feed ingredients with nutrient content higher than the needs of livestock and is used to mix with other ingredients to create complete compound feed.

28. Supplementary feed is a single ingredient or a mixture of feed ingredients added to the diet to balance the necessary nutrients for livestock; maintain or improve the characteristics of animal feed; improve animal health and the characteristics of livestock products.

29. Traditional feed is agricultural, aquacultural, and processed industrial products commonly used according to customary practices in livestock farming, including rice, paddy, bran, corn, potatoes, cassava, distillery residues, brewery residues, cassava pulp, pineapple pulp, molasses, straw, grass, shrimp, crab, fish, and other similar products.

30. Single ingredients are substances in their natural or synthetic form used as raw materials for animal feed.

31. Commercial feed is animal feed produced for the purpose of trade and sale in the market.

32. The main substance in animal feed is the component that determines the function and nature of the feed.

33. Livestock products include meat, eggs, milk, honey, beeswax, silk cocoons, bird's nests, bones, horns, hooves, internal organs; raw fur, skin, and other products derived from livestock.

Article 3. Principles of livestock farming activities

1. Develop livestock production according to the value chain, effectively exploit the potential and advantages of regions to meet domestic demand and export.

2. Apply science and technology in livestock production to enhance productivity, quality, efficiency, and competitiveness of the livestock sector; ensure food safety, disease safety, environmental protection, and respond to climate change.

3. Conserve, exploit, and reasonably develop indigenous livestock genetic resources, precious and rare livestock genetic resources; quickly adopt global advances in livestock genetics; combine modern livestock production with traditional livestock practices; develop livestock production suitable for ecological regions.

4. Socialize livestock activities; ensure harmony between the interests of the State and the interests of organizations and individuals in livestock development; ensure equality among organizations, individuals, and economic sectors in livestock production.

5. Meeting the requirements of international integration, complying with international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member.

Article 4. State policy on livestock breeding

1. The State invests in the following activities:

a) Statistics, basic surveys, building a livestock database, assessing livestock potential and activities on a 5-year and annual basis; developing livestock development strategies; market forecasting, stocking livestock products suitable for each period; developing standards and technical regulations in livestock breeding;

b) Conserving genetic resources of rare, precious, and indigenous livestock breeds.

2. In each period and within the capability of the state budget, the State supports the following activities:

a) Research and application of science and technology, prioritizing high technology, advanced technology, and new technology to create breakthrough products in animal husbandry; importing and maintaining parent breeds;

b) Building disease-safe and biosecure livestock regions; managing livestock environment; developing good livestock practice models; relocating livestock facilities out of cities, towns, districts, and residential areas where livestock farming is not permitted;

c) Developing infrastructure and equipment for scientific and technological research and training facilities; developing high-quality human resources, vocational training in livestock activities, and livestock extension, prioritizing remote areas, areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, disadvantaged areas, and particularly difficult areas;

d) Develop and promote national livestock products, key livestock products, organic livestock products; establish national livestock product brands; build centralized slaughterhouses, wholesale markets, auction facilities to promote and sell livestock breeds and products; facilitate trade promotion and develop consumer markets for livestock products;

d) Support livestock losses, restore animal breeds after natural disasters and epidemics according to legal regulations.

3. The State encourages organizations and individuals to invest in the activities specified in clauses 1 and 2 of this Article and the following activities:

a) Organize livestock farming on a farm scale, following value chains; maximize the role of enterprises, industry associations, and cooperatives in building livestock production value chains;

b) Investing in high technology, advanced technology, and new technology in slaughtering, processing, and preserving livestock products, as well as technology for treating livestock waste for use as fertilizer and other purposes;

c) Investing in livestock insurance activities; enhancing testing and conformity assessment capabilities in the livestock sector.

Article 5. Livestock Development Strategy

1. The livestock development strategy nationwide is built on a 10-year cycle with a 20-year orientation, in line with the socio-economic development strategy, the agriculture sector development strategy, and rural development strategy.

2. The main content of the livestock development strategy includes viewpoints, orientations, objectives, tasks, solutions, programs, projects, and implementation organization.

3. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead, in coordination with other Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and provincial People's Committees, in developing and submitting to the Prime Minister for approval the livestock development strategy.

Article 6. Science and technology activities in livestock

1. Science and technology activities in livestock that are prioritized by the State include:

a) Scientific and technological research serving the construction and improvement of the institutional, policy, and legal framework on livestock;

b) Oriented basic research, applied research, high-tech transfer, advanced technology, new technology, and production along the product value chain in livestock in order to improve productivity, quality, food safety, environmental protection, and adaptation to climate change.

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordination with the Ministry of Science and Technology proposes and commissions science and technology tasks suitable for the livestock development strategy in each phase.

3. The provincial-level People's Committee shall propose and commission scientific and technological tasks in livestock farming in accordance with the local socio-economic development strategy for each period.

4. Organizations and individuals with capacity are allowed to propose and implement scientific and technological tasks in livestock farming in accordance with the provisions of this Law, the Law on Science and Technology, and the Law on Technology Transfer.

Article 7. Application of technology in livestock farming

1. High technology, advanced technology, new technology, and high-tech products shall be prioritized and encouraged for application in the fields of livestock breeds, animal feed, livestock farming conditions, processing, and livestock product markets.

2. Organizations and individuals applying high technology, advanced technology, and new technology in livestock farming shall be entitled to policies stipulated in Article 4 of this Law and other relevant legal regulations.

Article 8. Development of disease-safe livestock farming areas

1. Disease-free livestock farming areas must meet the requirements of animal disease-free zones according to Vietnamese veterinary laws and international regulations; suitable for the conditions of the ecological region, regional advantages, associated with storage, processing, and consumption of products.

2. The establishment of disease-free livestock farming areas must be based on planning, socio-economic development plans, and the development project of disease-free livestock farming areas approved by the Provincial People's Committee.

3. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall stipulate the criteria and recognition of disease-free livestock farming areas.

Article 9. Cooperation and production linkage in livestock farming

1. Develop forms of cooperation and linkage along the value chain in livestock activities to ensure sufficient products that guarantee quality, food safety, and meet market demand; improve production and business efficiency, ensuring harmonious benefits among participating parties.

2. Organizations and individuals participating in production cooperation and linkage in livestock must sign contracts and enjoy the policies stipulated in Article 4 of this Law and other relevant provisions of the law.

3. The People's Committees at all levels have the following responsibilities:

a) Facilitate and support parties in negotiating, signing, and implementing commitments in production linkage and product consumption contracts;

b) Support the construction of infrastructure, logistics services, and the promotion of livestock products.

Article 10. International cooperation in livestock

1. Negotiate, sign, and implement agreements and international treaties on livestock.

2. Training, scientific research, technology transfer, exchange of information and experience in animal husbandry.

3. Exchange of precious and rare genetic resources; exchange of livestock breeds, feed crop varieties with high productivity and quality, adapted to climate change.

4. Cooperation in building and mutually recognizing quality certification systems in animal husbandry.

Article 11. National Database on Animal Husbandry

1. The national database on animal husbandry is an information system related to animal husbandry, built uniformly from the central to local levels, standardized for updating and management using information technology.

2. The content of the national database on animal husbandry includes:

a) Database on legal documents related to animal husbandry;

b) Database on livestock breeds, livestock genetic resources, animal feed, livestock waste treatment products;

c) Database on livestock facilities, processing, and livestock product markets;

d) Database on disease-free livestock zones;

d) Other databases related to livestock.

3. Organizations and individuals provide information, update, and exploit the national livestock database according to legal regulations.

4. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall regulate the updating, exploitation, and management of the national livestock database.

Article 12. Acts prohibited in livestock farming

1. Livestock farming in areas where it is not permitted by cities, towns, townships, residential areas; except for raising ornamental animals or laboratory animals that do not cause environmental pollution.

2. Using banned substances in livestock farming.

3. Using antibiotics in animal feed that are not veterinary drugs permitted for circulation in Vietnam.

4. Using antibiotics in animal feed for the purpose of growth promotion.

5. Destroying or appropriating livestock genetic resources.

6. Illegally exporting valuable or rare livestock genetic resources.

7. Importing livestock products that use prohibited substances in animal husbandry.

8. Importing, trading, or processing livestock products from animals that died from disease or unknown causes.

9. Illegally importing, breeding, releasing, or using genetically modified animals, or livestock products from genetically modified animals.

10. Using, introducing substances, objects, or forcibly pumping water into the bodies of animals or their products for the purpose of commercial fraud.

11. Colluding or committing fraud in testing, trials, inspection, quality announcement, or certification of compliance in the field of animal husbandry.

12. Discharging untreated or inadequately treated livestock waste into waste reception sites as prescribed by environmental protection law.

13. Falsifying declarations of livestock activities for personal gain.

14. Obstructing, destroying, or infringing upon lawful livestock activities.

Chapter II. BREEDS AND BREEDING PRODUCTS

Section 1. GENETIC RESOURCES OF LIVESTOCK BREEDS

Article 13. Management of genetic resources of livestock breeds

1. The genetic resources of livestock breeds are managed uniformly by the State.

2. Organizations and individuals are responsible for participating in the management of livestock breed genetic resources in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other relevant legal regulations.

Article 14. Collection, conservation, exploitation, and development of livestock breed genetic resources

1. Organizations and individuals collecting, conserving, exploiting, and developing livestock breed genetic resources must comply with the provisions of this Law and other relevant legal regulations.

2. The content of collecting, conserving, exploiting, and developing livestock genetic resources includes:

a) Investigating, surveying, and collecting livestock genetic resources;

b) Evaluating livestock genetic resources based on biological indicators and usage value;

c) Building a database of livestock genetic resources;

d) Protecting and maintaining livestock genetic resources;

đ) Using evaluated livestock genetic resources, determining their usage value for livestock selection, breeding, and propagation activities.

3. The method of conserving livestock genetic resources shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the law on biodiversity.

4. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and other relevant ministries and ministerial-level agencies in submitting to the Government regulations on the collection, preservation, exploitation, and development of animal genetic resources under the management scope of the agriculture sector.

Article 15. Exchange of rare and precious animal genetic resources

1. Organizations and individuals are allowed to exchange rare and precious animal genetic resources to serve research, selection, creation of new breeds and lines, and production and business activities in accordance with the regulations of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. The international exchange of animal genetic resources listed in the Catalogue of Breeds Prohibited from Export for scientific research, exhibitions, and advertising purposes must be decided by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development based on the approval of the Prime Minister.

3. Organizations and individuals engaged in the international exchange of genetic resources of precious and rare livestock breeds must comply with the provisions of this Law and the laws on veterinary, food safety, environmental protection, and biodiversity of Vietnam.

4. The exchange of genetic resources of precious and rare livestock breeds of Vietnam with a third party must be decided by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development based on the approval of the Prime Minister.

5. When exchanging genetic resources of precious and rare livestock breeds internationally for dissemination in production or for creating new breeds provided by Vietnamese organizations or individuals and under the copyright of Vietnam, Vietnamese organizations and individuals are entitled to copyright according to the provisions of the international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the international exchange partner are members.

Article 16. Procedures and formalities for exchanging genetic resources of precious and rare livestock breeds

1. Organizations or individuals who need to exchange genetic resources of valuable and rare livestock breeds shall submit 01 set of documents to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. The file for exchanging genetic resources of valuable and rare livestock breeds includes:

a) Application for exchanging genetic resources of valuable and rare livestock breeds;

b) Profile of the genetic resources of valuable and rare livestock breeds to be exchanged;

c) Relevant documents related to the exchange of genetic resources of valuable and rare livestock breeds.

3. Within 03 working days from the date of receiving the file, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall check, and in case the file is incomplete, a written request must be made for the organization or individual to supplement and complete the file. Within 30 days from the date of receiving a complete file, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall review, appraise, and make a decision based on the approval of the Prime Minister; in case of refusal, the reason must be clearly stated.

4. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall prescribe the form of dossiers as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article.

Article 17. Genetically modified animals and animal cloning

1. Genetically modified animals are animals whose genetic structure has been altered by gene transfer technology.

2. Research, selection, creation, experimentation, production, business, use, release, international exchange, and other activities involving genetically modified animals shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law on biodiversity.

3. Animal cloning is the use of cloning techniques from somatic cells to create animals.

4. Organizations and individuals are allowed to conduct research on animal cloning in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Section 2. PRODUCTION, TRADING OF LIVESTOCK BREEDS AND LIVESTOCK BREED PRODUCTS

Article 18. Requirements for livestock breeds and livestock breed products circulating on the market

1. Applicable standards have been announced.

2. Quality meets the announced applicable standards.

3. Complies with quarantine requirements according to veterinary law regulations.

Article 19. List of livestock breeds that need conservation and are banned from export

1. The list of livestock breeds that need conservation includes breeds that are few in number or endangered.

2. The list of livestock breeds banned from export includes rare and precious breeds that are Vietnam’s advantages.

3. The Government shall promulgate the List of Livestock Breeds that Need Conservation and the List of Livestock Breeds Banned from Export; regulations on the order and procedures for promulgating and updating the List of Livestock Breeds that Need Conservation and the List of Livestock Breeds Banned from Export.

Article 20. Importation of livestock breeds and livestock breed products

1. Livestock breeds and imported livestock breed products must be confirmed in writing by the competent authority or an organization authorized by the competent authority of the exporting country regarding their origin, source, breed quality, and intended use for breeding and genetic development.

2. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall consider and decide on the inspection of legal documents, the organizational system of enforcement, and the conditions for livestock breed production and livestock breed products in the exporting country in accordance with Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party in the following cases:

a) Evaluation for mutual recognition;

b) Livestock breeds and livestock breed products imported into Vietnam for the first time;

c) Detection of risks affecting quality and biosafety of livestock breeds and livestock breed products imported into Vietnam.

3. Imported breeding animals and breeding animal products must have their applicable standards publicly announced and undergo quarantine in accordance with veterinary law.

4. Organizations or individuals importing breeding males, semen, or livestock embryos must follow the following procedures:

a) Organizations or individuals importing for the first time must submit one set of documents to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the components of the dossier are as prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Within three working days from the date of receipt of the dossier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall check it, and if the dossier is incomplete, it must provide a written request for the organization or individual to supplement and complete the dossier. Within 15 days from the date of receipt of the complete dossier, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall respond in writing, and in case of refusal, the reasons must be clearly stated;

b) In the case that an organization or individual imports semen or embryos for the second time from the same animal, it is only necessary to notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in writing;

c) In the case that an organization or individual imports breeding males for the second time from the same breed and the same production facility, it is only necessary to notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in writing.

Article 21. Export and international exchange of livestock breeds and livestock breed products

1. The dossiers and quality of livestock breeds and livestock breed products for export shall meet the requirements of organizations, individuals, and importing countries, and comply with the provisions of Vietnamese law.

2. Export or international exchange of livestock breeds, livestock breed products in the list of livestock breeds prohibited from export for scientific research, exhibition, or advertising must be decided by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development based on the approval of the Prime Minister according to the following procedures:

a) Exporting organizations and individuals submit one set of documents to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; the components of the dossier are in accordance with the regulations of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Within 3 working days from the date of receipt of the dossier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall check it, and if the dossier is incomplete, it must issue a written request for the organization or individual to supplement and complete the dossier;

b) Within 30 days from the date of receiving a complete dossier, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall decide on the basis of the Prime Minister's approval; in case of refusal, the reasons must be clearly stated.

Article 22. Conditions for the production and trade of livestock breeds

1. Livestock breeds are individual animals used for breeding and reproduction.

2. Organizations and individuals producing livestock breeds must meet the following conditions:

a) The conditions prescribed in Article 55 of this Law;

b) Apply an appropriate quality management system and announce the applicable standards for the livestock breed;

c) Facilities keeping parent stock, breeding facilities, and livestock breed establishments must have technical staff with a university degree or higher in one of the following fields: animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, or biology;

d) Parent-level breeding bases for pigs, poultry, breeding herds, and production of livestock breeds must have technical staff trained in one of the following majors: animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, or biology;

d) There must be breed records clearly stating the breed name, breed level, origin, quantity, and economic-technical indicators.

3. Organizations and individuals buying and selling livestock breeds must have a copy of the applicable standard announcement from the production facility and the breed records in accordance with point d, clause 2 of this Article.

Article 23. Conditions for the production, buying, and selling of semen, embryos, breeding eggs, larval seeds of livestock, and services for artificial insemination and embryo transfer

1. Organizations and individuals producing semen, embryos, breeding eggs, larval seeds of livestock must meet the following conditions:

a) The conditions specified in clause 2, Article 22 of this Law;

b) Have records monitoring the quality indicators of semen during the inspection and collection of male breeding semen;

c) Have specialized equipment that meets technical requirements to produce, inspect, evaluate, preserve, and transport semen, embryos, breeding eggs, and larvae.

2. Individuals providing artificial insemination and embryo transfer services for livestock must comply with the following requirements:

a) Have a training certificate on artificial insemination or embryo transfer techniques as prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;

b) When providing artificial insemination or embryo transfer services, record information about the household owner, the identification number of the male and female breeders, the mating date, and the mating instance.

3. Organizations and individuals owning male breeders for direct mating for commercial purposes must comply with the following requirements:

a) Declare the male breeders as stipulated in Article 54 of this Law;

b) Use male breeders with known origin and breeding records, and which have been quarantined, inspected, and quality assessed.

4. Organizations and individuals buying and selling semen and animal embryos must meet the following conditions:

a) Have appropriate tools and equipment for preserving each type of semen and embryo;

b) The storage area must be separated or not contaminated by pesticides or toxic chemicals;

c) Have measures to ensure safety for people, animals, and the surrounding environment;

d) Maintain records tracking the storage and buying and selling of semen and embryos.

5. Organizations and individuals producing poultry breeding eggs must meet the following conditions:

a) The conditions specified in clause 2, Article 22 of this Law;

a) Breeding eggs are collected from parent flocks or equivalent level or higher.

6. Organizations and individuals buying and selling breeding eggs and animal larvae must have a file declaring the applicable standards and a breeding file as prescribed in Point d, Clause 2, Article 22 of this Law.

Article 24. Quality requirements for male and female breeding animals in production

1. Male breeding animals used in breeding production must meet the following requirements:

a) Have a clear background and pedigree;

b) Be produced from a breeding production facility, in accordance with the announced quality standards applied;

c) Male breeding animals used in semen production facilities for commercial purposes must have their individual performance tested and meet the quality standards as prescribed.

2. Female breeding animals used in breeding production must meet the following requirements:

a) Have a clear background and pedigree;

b) Be produced from a breeding production facility, in accordance with the announced quality standards applied, and meet quality standards as prescribed.

3. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall regulate the quality standards for male and female breeding animals.

Article 25. Rights and obligations of facilities producing and trading livestock breeding products

1. Facilities producing and trading livestock breeding products have the following rights:

a) To produce and trade livestock breeding products when meeting the conditions stipulated in Articles 22 and 23 of this Law;

b) Enjoy the policies of the State concerning establishments producing and trading animal breeding products;

c) Complain, denounce, and file lawsuits related to the production and trading of animal breeding products in accordance with the law;

d) Keep confidential information about the production and trading activities of animal breeding products, except in cases where requested by competent state agencies.

2. Establishments producing and trading animal breeding products have the following obligations:

a) Declare livestock activities in accordance with the provisions of Article 54 of this Law;

b) Ensure the conditions of establishments producing and trading animal breeding products during the production and trading process;

c) Keep breed records for a minimum period of 03 years from the date of production and trading;

d) Provide the purchaser of livestock breed products with a dossier including information about the name, address of the production facility, breed name of the livestock, quantity of livestock breed products sold, pedigree for cattle, the announced applicable standards, and breeding process;

d) Ensure and be responsible for the quality of livestock breed products in accordance with the announced applicable standards;

e) Recall livestock breed products that do not meet the type, origin, or quality standards and compensate for damages according to the law;

g) Comply with inspections and checks by competent state agencies.

Section 3. TESTING, CERTIFICATION OF LIVESTOCK LINES AND BREEDS

Article 26. Testing of livestock lines and breeds

1. Testing of livestock breeds is the practice of raising and monitoring a specific livestock breed under certain conditions and time periods to determine differences, stability, uniformity in productivity, quality, disease resistance, and to evaluate the impact of that breed.

2. New livestock breeds must undergo testing before being released for production, except for livestock breeds created from the results of Ministry-level or national-level science and technology tasks that have been recognized or approved by a competent authority.

3. Organizations and individuals seeking recognition of a new livestock breed must conduct testing according to national technical standards for livestock breed testing at establishments that meet the conditions for livestock breed testing.

4. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development promulgates national technical standards for livestock breed testing.

Article 27. Conditions for livestock breed and line testing facilities

Livestock breed and line testing facilities must meet the following conditions:

1. Conditions specified in Article 55 of this Law;

2. Having facilities and technical equipment suitable for testing the corresponding livestock breeds and lines;

3. Having technical staff with at least a university degree in one of the majors of animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, or biology;

4. Applying an appropriate quality management system.

Article 28. Livestock breed and line verification

1. Livestock breed and line verification is the evaluation and reconfirmation of the productivity, quality, and disease resistance of a livestock breed or line after it has been put into production.

2. Livestock breed and line verification is carried out in the following cases:

a) There are complaints or denunciations about the quality of a livestock breed or line;

b) There is a request for appraisal or verification from a competent state agency;

c) According to the request of organizations or individuals.

3. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announces the trial establishments of livestock breeds and lines that have undergone breed and line verification.

Article 29. Principles for naming new livestock breeds and lines

1. Each new livestock breed or line may only be given one appropriate name in Vietnamese.

2. Naming new livestock breeds or lines must ensure that it does not fall into the following cases:

a) Duplicate or cause confusion with the name of a breed or line that has been recognized;

b) Consist only of numbers;

c) Violate historical, cultural, moral traditions, and the customs of the nation;

d) Duplicate the pronunciation or spelling of the name of a leader, national hero, or notable person.

d) Use the names of state agencies, people's armed units, the names of political organizations, political-social organizations, socio-political-professional organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations, except in cases with the approval of the respective agency, unit, or organization.

Article 30. Recognition of new breeds or lines of livestock

1. The dossier for recognizing new breeds or lines of livestock includes:

a) An application for recognition of the new breed or line of livestock, clearly stating the name of the breed or line, origin, and source;

b) Results of trials or results of Ministry-level or national-level scientific and technological tasks that have been recognized or approved by competent authorities.

2. The recognition of new breeds or lines of livestock shall be carried out according to the following procedures and processes:

a) Organizations and individuals proposing the recognition of new livestock breeds shall submit one dossier in paper or electronic form in accordance with the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Within 3 working days from the date of receiving the dossier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall check it, and if the dossier is incomplete, it must issue a written request for the organization or individual to supplement and complete the dossier;

b) Within 15 days from the date of receiving a complete dossier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall organize the appraisal and evaluation of the dossier. In case the appraisal and evaluation results meet the requirements, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall decide to recognize the new livestock breed; if the requirements are not met, the reasons must be clearly stated.

Article 31. Rights and obligations of livestock breed testing facilities

1. Livestock breed testing facilities have the following rights:

a) To carry out testing of livestock breeds in accordance with the provisions of the law;

b) To carry out verification of livestock breeds in accordance with the provisions of Article 28 of this Law;

c) To be reimbursed for the costs of testing and verifying livestock breeds in accordance with the provisions of the law;

d) To make complaints, denunciations, or initiate lawsuits related to testing of livestock breeds in accordance with the provisions of the law;

đ) To refuse to provide information related to the results of testing, except in cases of requests from competent state agencies.

2. Livestock breed testing facilities have the following obligations:

a) To ensure the conditions of the testing facility during operations;

b) To be responsible for the results of testing and verification;

c) To comply with the legal provisions on biosafety, disease safety, and environmental protection;

d) To keep records for a minimum of 03 years after the completion of testing and verification;

d) Comply with inspections and checks by competent state authorities.

Chapter III. ANIMAL FEED

Article 32. Requirements for commercial animal feed before being circulated in the market

1. Announce the applicable standards and conformity declaration in accordance with the law on standards and technical regulations, product and goods quality.

2. Have quality suitable to the announced applicable standards and corresponding technical regulations.

3. Be produced at an establishment with a Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production issued by a competent state management agency.

4. Announce the information of animal feed products on the electronic information portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

5. Labels or accompanying documents of animal feed must comply with the provisions of Article 46 of this Law.

Article 33. Announcing information of complete mixed feed products, concentrated feed

1. Complete compound feed products, concentrated feed produced and traded by organizations or individuals who self-declare information on the Electronic Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. The dossier for declaring information of complete compound feed products and concentrated feed includes:

a) For complete compound feed and concentrated feed produced domestically, it includes the documents prescribed in points b, c, d, đ, and e of Clause 2, Article 34 of this Law;

b) For complete mixed feed and imported concentrated feed, the documentation includes the materials specified in points b, c, d, đ, e, and g of Clause 3, Article 34 of this Law. The file must be the original or a certified copy, along with a certified Vietnamese translation.

3. Organizations and individuals access the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's electronic portal to self-declare product information for complete mixed feed and concentrated feed. The product information declared must be consistent with the declaration dossier as prescribed in Clause 2 of this Article. Immediately after self-declaring product information, organizations and individuals have the right to manufacture and trade the product and are responsible for the quality and safety of the declared product.

4. Changes to the information of complete mixed feed and concentrated feed products are carried out as follows:

a) In the case of changes to the address of the production facility or product quality, organizations or individuals must re-declare product information in accordance with the provisions of clauses 2 and 3 of this Article;

b) In the case of changes to information not specified in point a of this clause, organizations or individuals can make changes themselves on the Electronic Information Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Article 34. Declaration of information on feed supplement products

1. Feed supplement products must be evaluated for declaration on the Electronic Information Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This regulation does not apply to single ingredients.

2. The dossier requesting the declaration of information on domestically produced feed supplement products includes:

a) An application for product information declaration;

b) Certificate of eligibility for livestock feed production;

c) Lease or feed processing contracts in the case of organizations or individuals renting or processing at animal feed production facilities that have been granted a Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production;

d) Applicable announced standards, and documents notifying the receipt of product conformity announcement;

đ) Test result sheets of quality and safety indicators of the product according to the applicable announced standards and the corresponding national technical regulations issued by testing laboratories designated or recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

e) Sample of the product label.

3. The dossier to request the announcement of imported supplementary feed product information includes:

a) An application for product information declaration;

b) Certificate of Free Sale or an equivalent document issued by the competent authority of the country of origin;

c) One of the certificates of Quality Management System (ISO), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) or an equivalent certificate of the manufacturing facility;

d) Product information provided by the manufacturing organization or individual, including ingredients, uses, instructions for use; quality indicators, safety indicators as prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;

đ) The applied public standard of the organization or individual registering in accordance with the law on product and goods quality; the product's supplementary label displayed in Vietnamese as prescribed;

e) Test result certificates for the quality and safety indicators of the product issued by laboratories designated by the competent authority of the country of origin or recognized by an international accreditation organization or regional accreditation organization, or laboratories designated or acknowledged by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

g) Sample of the product label provided by the producing organization or individual. The dossier must be the original or a certified copy and a certified Vietnamese translation.

4. The dossier for requesting re-announcement of feed supplement product information is regulated as follows:

a) For feed supplements produced domestically, according to the provisions at point a, clause 2 of this Article;

b) For imported feed supplements, according to the provisions at point a, clause 3 of this Article.

5. The announcement of feed supplement product information shall be carried out according to the following order:

a) Organizations and individuals access the electronic portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to submit applications for product information disclosure of feed supplements in accordance with the provisions of clauses 2, 3, and 4 of this Article;

b) Within 03 working days from the date of receiving the application, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development checks the components of the application. In case the application is incomplete, it must notify on the electronic portal for the organization or individual to supplement and complete it. Within 20 days from the date of receiving a complete application, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development appraises the application and publishes the product information on the electronic portal; if not approved, the reason must be clearly stated.

6. The shelf life of the supplementary feed product is 05 years from the date the product is announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on the electronic information portal. Within 06 months before the expiration of the shelf life, organizations or individuals who wish to do so can re-announce according to the provisions in clauses 4 and 5 of this Article.

Article 35. Changes in information of supplementary feed products

1. In the case of changing information of a supplementary feed product regarding the name, address, phone number, fax number, or email address of the registering organization or individual, or the product packaging specifications, the organization or individual shall personally make the changes on the electronic information portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. In the case of changes to the information of a supplementary food product regarding the manufacturer’s name, manufacturing facility address, product name, applicable announced standard code, form, product color, usage instructions, or product shelf life, the organization or individual must request the change of this information on the Electronic Information Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development according to the following dossier, order, and procedure:

a) The dossier for requesting information changes includes the application for information change, the applicable publication standard, the receipt of conformity announcement (if any), a sample of the product label, and the certificate of eligibility for feed production. For imported feed additives, it is necessary to supplement with the original or a certified copy of the document confirming the content change from the manufacturer; a certified copy of the business registration certificate or a confirmation from the competent state management authority in case of a change in the name of the manufacturing facility or the trade name of the imported feed.

b) Within 03 working days from the date of receiving the application, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall review it. In the case that the application is incomplete, organizations or individuals shall be requested to supplement and complete the application. Within 15 days from the date of receiving a complete application, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall confirm and announce the product change information on the Electronic Information Portal. In case of disagreement, clear reasons must be provided.

3. The provisions in clauses 1 and 2 of this Article do not apply to single raw materials.

Article 36. Announcement of other feed products

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall announce and post on the Ministry’s Electronic Information Portal the following contents regarding traditional feeds and single raw materials:

a) Product name;

b) Technical requirements of the product.

2. Animal feed that does not need to be announced on the Electronic Information Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development includes:

a) Internal consumption feed means feed that is self-mixed by the facility for use in the facility's own livestock farming needs, and may not be exchanged or sold on the market;

b) Feed made to order means feed produced according to an order between the ordering facility and the feed supplier, which is only to be used within the ordering facility and may not be exchanged or sold on the market;

c) Other feed that does not fall under the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article.

Article 37. Testing of animal feed

1. Testing of animal feed is the evaluation of the quality and safety of feed for animals and the environment through trial feeding on animals according to each growth stage or production cycle. The contents of feed testing include:

a) Analysis of feed quality;

b) Evaluation of toxicity and safety for animals and the environment;

c) Other content according to the specific characteristics of each type of animal feed.

2. Animal feed imported for the first time from countries or territories not recognized by Vietnam regarding testing procedures, animal feed certification, or produced in Vietnam containing new substances not yet tested in Vietnam must undergo testing before the product is announced, except for animal feed created from the results of ministerial or national-level science and technology projects that have been recognized or authorized by competent authorities.

3. The animal feed testing facility must meet the following conditions:

a) The conditions prescribed in Article 55 of this Law;

b) Have facilities and technical equipment that meet the testing requirements for each type of animal feed;

c) The technical manager must have a university degree or higher in one of the following majors: animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, biology, food technology, post-harvest technology.

4. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall issue a list of chemicals, biological products, and microorganisms prohibited for use in animal feed and a list of raw materials allowed to be used in animal feed; shall issue national technical regulations on animal feed testing and regulations on mutual recognition of testing procedures and recognition of animal feed with countries and territories that have trade exchange activities of animal feed with Vietnam.

Article 38. Conditions for animal feed production

1. Organizations and individuals producing commercial animal feed or custom-made animal feed must meet the following conditions:

a) The production facility location must not be in an area contaminated by hazardous waste or toxic chemicals;

b) The production area must be designed, and equipment arranged according to the one-way principle from raw materials to finished products, ensuring separation between production areas to avoid cross-contamination;

c) There must be production lines and equipment suitable for producing animal feed;

d) There must be measures to preserve animal feed raw materials according to the recommendations of the supplying organization or individual;

e) Measures must be in place to control pests, impurities, and contaminating waste to avoid affecting the safety and quality of animal feed;

f) Measuring equipment and tools must be inspected and calibrated as required;

g) There must be an in-house or contracted laboratory to analyze the quality of animal feed during production;

h) The technical manager must have a university degree or higher in one of the following majors: animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, biology, food technology, post-harvest technology;

i) Feed production facilities containing antibiotics must have control measures to ensure that there is no dissemination or cross-contamination between different types of antibiotics, as well as between feed containing antibiotics and feed not containing antibiotics;

k) Have environmental protection measures that comply with the legal regulations on environmental protection.

2. Organizations and individuals producing feed for internal consumption must meet the conditions specified in points a, b, d, đ, e, g, i, and k of Clause 1 of this Article, except in cases where feed for internal consumption is used in household farming.

3. The Government shall provide detailed regulations for Clause 1 of this Article.

Article 39. Issuance, re-issuance, and revocation of the Certificate of Eligibility for Feed Production

1. The authority to issue, reissue, and revoke the Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production is regulated as follows:

a) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall issue, reissue, and revoke the Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production for facilities producing supplementary animal feed;

b) The provincial People's Committee shall issue, reissue, and revoke the Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production within its locality, except for the cases specified in point a of this clause.

2. The Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production shall be reissued in the following cases:

a) Lost or damaged;

b) Changes in information about the organization or individual in the Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production.

3. The Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production shall be revoked in the following cases:

a) Erasing, deleting, or modifying the content of the Certificate of Eligibility for Animal Feed Production;

b) The facility no longer meets the conditions specified in Clause 1, Article 38 of this Law;

c) The facility has other violations that the law requires revocation of the Certificate of Eligibility for Commercial Feed Production.

4. The Government shall stipulate the dossiers, order, and procedures for issuing, reissuing, and revoking the Certificate of Eligibility for Commercial Feed Production.

Article 40. Conditions for buying and selling animal feed

1. Having equipment and tools to preserve animal feed according to the instructions of the producing or supplying organization or individual.

2. Places selling or storing animal feed must be separated from or not contaminated by pesticides, fertilizers, or other toxic chemicals.

3. Measures must be taken to prevent and control harmful organisms.

Article 41. Import of animal feed

1. Imported animal feed must be state-inspected for quality according to the provisions in Clause 4, Article 43 of this Law.

2. Organizations or individuals importing animal feed must have or rent storage facilities for animal feed that meet quality assurance and food safety requirements in accordance with the law and the recommendations of the supplying organizations or individuals.

3. Organizations and individuals are only allowed to import animal feed that has been publicly announced on the Electronic Information Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In the case of importing animal feed that has not been publicly announced on the Electronic Information Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the purpose of presentation at fairs, exhibitions, adaptive breeding, research, sample analysis in laboratories, or production and processing for export purposes, a permit must be issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

4. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall consider and decide to inspect legal documents, the enforcement organizational system, conditions for the production of animal feed, and laboratories in the exporting country in accordance with Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member in the following cases:

a) Evaluation for mutual recognition;

b) Detect risks affecting the quality, environment, food safety, and epidemic safety of imported animal feed into Vietnam.

5. The government shall provide detailed regulations on this Article.

Article 42. Export of animal feed

1. The records and quality of exported animal feed must comply with the requirements of the importing organization, individual, or country and be in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law.

2. The export of animal feed must comply with the provisions of this Law and other relevant legal regulations.

Article 43. State inspection on animal feed quality

1. State inspection on the quality of animal feed must comply with the provisions of this Law, the Law on Product and Goods Quality, and other relevant legal regulations.

2. The content of state inspection on the quality of commercially produced and circulated animal feed domestically includes:

a) The implementation of the announcement of applicable standards and conformity announcement (if any);

b) The implementation of measures for managing the quality of animal feed;

c) The implementation of labeling for animal feed products;

d) Sampling animal feed to check the conformity of the products with the announced applicable standards, corresponding national technical regulations, and other relevant legal regulations, focusing on checking and evaluating safety indicators and key quality indicators in animal feed.

3. The content of state inspection on the quality of domestically consumed animal feed, order-based animal feed, and traditional feed includes sampling animal feed to check safety indicators prescribed in the corresponding national technical regulations and other relevant legal regulations.

4. The content of state inspection on the quality of imported animal feed includes:

a) Checking import records;

b) Conduct a factual inspection regarding the quantity, weight, packaging specifications, labeling, expiration date, origin, and other sensory indicators of the product;

c) Take samples of animal feed to test and evaluate compliance with the quality and safety of the product.

5. The content of state inspection on the quality of exported animal feed includes:

a) Inspecting the quality declaration and conformity declaration (if any);

b) Conducting a factual inspection regarding packaging specifications, labeling, expiration date, and sensory evaluation of the product;

c) Analyzing quality according to the requirements of enterprises or organizations, individuals, or importing countries.

6. The content of state inspection on recalled or returned exported animal feed includes:

a) Inspecting the reason the exported animal feed was recalled or returned;

b) Conducting a factual inspection regarding packaging specifications, labeling, expiration date, and sensory evaluation of the product;

c) Taking samples of animal feed to check the quality and safety of the product.

7. Handling violations regarding the quality of animal feed is regulated as follows:

a) Organizations and individuals producing or trading animal feed, depending on the severity of the quality violations, will be subject to administrative penalties or criminal liability according to the provisions of the law;

b) Handling of substandard animal feed may involve correcting information, recycling, repurposing, re-exporting, or destruction.

8. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this Article.

Article 44. Sampling and testing of animal feed

1. State inspection sampling for the quality of animal feed shall be conducted in accordance with national standards or regulations prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. Persons collecting animal feed samples for state management purposes must be granted a certificate of animal feed sampling by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

3. Test results of animal feed for state management purposes are only recognized according to the testing methods at laboratories designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. In case the testing method has not been designated or agreed upon, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall decide the method to be applied temporarily.

4. The basis for testing includes quality indicators announced for application by the producing or supplying organizations or individuals of the product, safety indicators prescribed in the corresponding national technical regulations, and other relevant legal regulations.

Article 45. Animal feed containing antibiotics

1. Antibiotics used in animal feed must be veterinary drugs permitted to circulate in Vietnam.

2. Antibiotics may only be used in animal feed production according to the prescription of a person holding a professional certificate for preventing and treating animal diseases as prescribed by veterinary law, in order to prevent disease in young animals and treat sick animals.

3. The use of animal feed containing antibiotics must comply with the instructions of the organization or individual producing or supplying the animal feed.

4. Animal feed containing antibiotics must display information about the name and content of the antibiotics, usage instructions, and withdrawal period on the product label or accompanying documents.

5. The government stipulates the criteria for types of young animals allowed to use animal feed containing antibiotics for disease prevention and the roadmap for discontinuing the use of antibiotics for disease prevention in animals.

Article 46. Labeling of animal feed

1. The labeling of animal feed shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the law on goods labeling and the following regulations:

a) For commercial animal feed, the product label or accompanying documents must display information about the product name, main ingredient composition, quality indicators, place of manufacture, production date, shelf life, storage instructions, usage instructions; information about the organization or individual responsible for the goods to ensure traceability of the product origin;

b) For other animal feeds, the product label or accompanying documents must have information to identify and trace the origin of the product.

2. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall regulate in detail the labeling of animal feed.

Article 47. Advertising of animal feed

1. Organizations and individuals advertising animal feed must comply with the provisions of the law on advertising.

2. The content of animal feed advertisements must be consistent with the product information announced on the Electronic Information Portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Article 48. Rights and obligations of animal feed production facilities

1. Animal feed production facilities have the following rights:

a) To enjoy the State's policies related to the production and business activities of animal feed;

b) To produce animal feed according to the provisions of this Law and other relevant legal regulations;

c) To make complaints, denunciations, and initiate lawsuits related to the production of animal feed in accordance with the law;

d) Commercial animal feed production facilities, in addition to the rights specified in points a, b, and c of this clause, are allowed to process types of animal feed in accordance with the law.

2. Livestock feed production facilities have the following obligations:

a) Ensure the conditions of the livestock feed production facility during operation;

b) Develop and implement a livestock feed quality control process, ensuring that the livestock feed meets the announced applicable quality standards and corresponding national technical regulations, ensures traceability of livestock feed products, and keeps records of the livestock feed quality control process;

c) Only use types of products and livestock feed raw materials that comply with the provisions of the law; raw materials used in finished products must have a shelf life at least equal to that of the finished product;

d) Comply with inspections and checks on production conditions and livestock feed quality by competent state agencies; take responsibility before the law for the quality of livestock feed produced by the production facility.

d) Commercial animal feed production establishments must announce the applicable standards, declare conformity, label the animal feed, and maintain complete records at the production facility as prescribed; keep a production log and animal feed test results for a minimum of 2 years; retain samples of animal feed for a minimum of 30 days from the product's expiration date; report on the animal feed production situation periodically or unexpectedly as regulated by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and fulfill the obligations stipulated in points a, b, c, and d of this clause.

Article 49. Rights and obligations of establishments engaging in the sale, export, and import of animal feed

1. Establishments engaged in the trading, exporting, and importing of animal feed have the following rights:

a) To enjoy the policies of the State related to animal feed business activities;

b) To trade, export, and import animal feed products in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other relevant legal regulations;

c) To make complaints, denunciations, or initiate lawsuits related to the trading, exporting, and importing of animal feed in accordance with the law.

2. Establishments engaged in the trading, exporting, and importing of animal feed have the following obligations:

a) To ensure the conditions of trading, exporting, and importing animal feed during their operations;

b) To comply with legal regulations in ensuring the quality, and information about the origin and source of animal feed;

c) To apply measures to preserve product quality according to the recommendations of manufacturers or individuals in order to maintain the quality of the animal feed;

d) List prices and comply with inspections on the prices of animal feed;

d) Comply with inspections and checks on the conditions of trading, exporting, importing, and the quality of animal feed by competent state agencies;

e) Not trade, export, or import products containing substances banned for use in animal feed;

g) Only trade and import types of animal feed that have been announced on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's electronic information portal;

h) Record and store information about animal feed during trading, exporting, and importing to ensure traceability;

i) Develop procedures for evaluating and selecting organizations or individuals producing or supplying imported animal feed; develop and implement a plan to inspect the quality of imported animal feed consignments to ensure compliance with sales contracts, announced standards, and technical regulations.

Article 50. Rights and obligations of organizations and individuals using animal feed

1. Organizations and individuals using animal feed have the following rights:

a) To be provided with full information about the quality, origin, price, and usage instructions of animal feed from the supplying organizations or individuals;

b) To file complaints, denunciations, and lawsuits related to the use of animal feed in accordance with the law;

c) To be compensated for damages in accordance with the law.

2. Organizations and individuals using animal feed have the following obligations:

a) To use animal feed ensuring quality and food safety for human health, livestock, and the environment;

b) To comply with the provisions of the law and the instructions of the organizations or individuals supplying the animal feed regarding transportation, storage, preservation, and usage of the feed;

c) To comply with inspections and quality checks of animal feed conducted by competent state agencies;

d) Coordinate the handling of feed and livestock products that violate quality and safety regulations according to the law;

d) Keep a log of feed containing antibiotics according to regulations.

Article 51. Rights and obligations of feed testing facilities

1. Feed testing facilities have the following rights:

a) To test feed in accordance with legal regulations;

b) To be reimbursed for feed testing costs according to legal regulations;

c) To file complaints, denunciations, or lawsuits related to feed testing in accordance with the law.

2. Feed testing facilities have the following obligations:

a) Ensure the conditions of the feed testing facility during its operation;

b) Be responsible for the results of feed testing;

c) Keep feed testing records for a minimum of 03 years;

d) Comply with inspections and checks on feed testing activities by competent state agencies.

Chapter IV. CONDITIONS OF LIVESTOCK FACILITIES AND LIVESTOCK WASTE TREATMENT

Section 1. CONDITIONS OF LIVESTOCK FACILITIES

Article 52. Livestock scale

1. The scale of livestock raising includes the following types:

a) Farm livestock including large-scale, medium-scale, and small-scale farm livestock;

b) Household livestock.

2. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this Article.

Article 53. Livestock unit and livestock density

1. A livestock unit is a conversion unit of livestock and poultry based on live weight, regardless of breed, age, or gender. Each livestock unit is equivalent to 500 kg of live animal weight.

2. Livestock density is calculated by the total number of livestock units per 1 hectare of agricultural land.

3. The determination of livestock farming scale must be based on livestock density.

4. The government regulates livestock density for each region based on livestock development strategy, farming technology, and ecological environment.

5. The provincial People's Committee, based on the regional livestock density, regulates the livestock density for the province or centrally governed city.

Article 54. Declaration of livestock farming activities

1. Organizations and individuals engaged in livestock farming must declare their livestock farming activities to the commune-level People's Committee.

2. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall regulate the types and quantities of livestock that must be reported, the timing of reporting, and the reporting forms for livestock activities.

Article 55. Farm Livestock Raising

1. Farm livestock raising must meet the following conditions:

a) The location of the farm construction must be suitable with the socio-economic development strategy of the locality and region, as well as the livestock development strategy; it must meet the livestock density requirements specified in clauses 4 and 5 of Article 53 of this Law;

b) There must be an adequate water supply ensuring quality for livestock activities and livestock waste treatment;

c) There must be environmental protection measures according to the provisions of the law on environmental protection;

d) There must be livestock pens and equipment suitable for each type of livestock;

d) Have records documenting the livestock farming process, the use of feed, veterinary drugs, vaccines, and other information to ensure traceability; keep records for a minimum of 01 year after the end of the farming cycle;

e) Maintain a safety distance from the farm livestock area to the subjects affected by livestock activities and from sources of pollution to the farm livestock area.

2. Organizations and individuals with large-scale farm livestock must be granted a Certificate of Eligibility for Livestock Farming.

3. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall regulate the safety distances in farm livestock to ensure biosecurity, disease safety, and environmental protection.

Article 56. Household Livestock Farming

Household livestock farming must meet the following requirements:

1. Animal pens must be separated from human living areas.

2. Regularly clean, disinfect, and detoxify animal pens and farming equipment.

3. There are appropriate measures for epidemic prevention hygiene; collection and treatment of manure, livestock wastewater, animal carcasses, and other livestock waste in accordance with the provisions of veterinary and environmental protection laws.

Article 57. Rights and obligations of livestock organizations and individuals

1. Livestock organizations and individuals have the following rights:

a) Organizations and individuals who have declared their livestock activities in accordance with Article 54 of this Law are entitled to compensation for losses and production recovery in the event of natural disasters or epidemics in accordance with the provisions of the law;

b) Enjoy the State policies related to livestock activities;

c) Receive training and education on livestock farming;

d) Promote their products in accordance with the provisions of the law;

e) Complain, denounce, and file lawsuits related to livestock activities in accordance with the provisions of the law.

2. Livestock organizations and individuals have the following obligations:

a) Declare their livestock activities in accordance with Article 54 of this Law;

b) Implement biosafety measures and environmental hygiene in livestock farming;

c) Treat livestock waste in accordance with legal regulations on environmental protection;

d) Ensure humane treatment of animals in accordance with legal regulations.

Article 58. Issuing, reissuing, and revoking the Certificate of Sufficient Conditions for Livestock Farming for large-scale farm livestock

1. The provincial-level People’s Committee has the authority to issue, reissue, and revoke the Certificate of Sufficient Conditions for Livestock Farming.

2. The Certificate of Sufficient Conditions for Livestock Farming shall be reissued in the following cases:

a) Lost or damaged;

b) Changes in information regarding the organization or individual on the Certificate of Sufficient Conditions for Livestock Farming.

3. The Certificate of Sufficient Conditions for Livestock Farming shall be revoked in the following cases:

a) The contents of the Certificate of Sufficient Conditions for Livestock Farming have been erased, deleted, or altered;

b) The farm livestock establishment no longer meets the conditions prescribed in Article 55 of this Law.

c) Livestock farming establishments that commit other violations as stipulated by law must have their Certificate of Satisfactory Conditions for Animal Husbandry revoked.

4. The Government shall prescribe the dossier, order, and procedures for granting, re-granting, and revoking the Certificate of Satisfactory Conditions for Animal Husbandry.

Section 2. LIVESTOCK WASTE MANAGEMENT

Article 59. Treatment of waste in livestock farming

1. Livestock waste includes solid waste of organic origin, livestock wastewater, gas emissions, and other wastes.

2. The treatment of solid waste of organic origin is regulated as follows:

a) Organizations and individuals owning livestock farming establishments are responsible for treating solid waste of organic origin to meet national technical standards before using it for crops or as feed for aquaculture;

b) Untreated solid waste of organic origin must be transported from the livestock farming establishment to the treatment location using specialized vehicles and equipment.

c) Livestock that die from epidemics and other hazardous waste must be treated in accordance with veterinary and environmental protection laws.

3. The treatment of livestock wastewater is regulated as follows:

a) Organizations and individuals owning farm livestock facilities are responsible for collecting and treating livestock wastewater to meet national technical standards for livestock wastewater before discharging it into receiving sources in accordance with environmental protection laws;

b) Treated livestock wastewater that meets national technical standards for livestock wastewater can be used for crops;

c) Untreated livestock wastewater must use specialized vehicles and equipment when transported from the farming facility to the treatment site.

4. Organizations and individuals owning farming facilities are responsible for treating emissions from livestock activities to meet the national technical standards on livestock emissions.

5. The treatment of other wastes must comply with the provisions of the law on veterinary medicine and environmental protection.

Article 60. Waste treatment in household livestock farming

Household livestock farmers must meet the following requirements:

1. Have measures to handle manure, wastewater, and livestock emissions to ensure environmental sanitation and not affect surrounding people;

2. Animals that die from disease and other hazardous wastes must be treated according to the provisions of the law on veterinary medicine and environmental protection.

Article 61. Noise treatment in livestock activities

1. Noise in livestock activities includes noise generated by livestock and equipment used in livestock activities.

2. Organizations and individuals owning farm livestock facilities, as well as household livestock owners, must manage noise generated during livestock activities in accordance with the national technical standards on noise in livestock activities.

Article 62. Management of livestock waste treatment products

1. Livestock waste treatment products must meet the following requirements before being circulated on the market:

a) Announce the applicable standards and conformity announcements in accordance with legal regulations;

b) Have quality suitable with the announced applicable standards;

c) Information about the product must be posted on the electronic portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

d) Livestock waste treatment products that are produced or imported into Vietnam for the first time and contain new substances that have not been tested in Vietnam must be tested before the product is announced.

2. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this Article.

Article 63. Management of facilities producing livestock waste treatment products

1. Management of facilities producing livestock waste treatment products includes:

a) Production locations must be in areas not contaminated by hazardous waste;

b) Environmental impact assessment reports or environmental protection plans according to the provisions of the law on environmental protection;

c) Production lines and equipment suitable for producing the product;

d) Equipment and measuring tools to monitor quality, ensuring accuracy according to the provisions of the law on metrology;

đ) Storage warehouses for livestock waste treatment products must have separate storage conditions.

e) The technical person in charge must have a university degree or higher in one of the following majors: animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, chemistry, biotechnology, environmental technology.

2. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this Article.

Chapter V. OTHER ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

Section 1. OTHER ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

Article 64. Management of swiftlet farming

1. Luring swiftlets is the practice of using technical measures to attract swiftlets to nest in swiftlet houses.

2. Swiftlet farming activities include luring, incubation, raising swiftlets, and harvesting swiftlet nests.

3. Organizations and individuals with swiftlet farming activities in the swiftlet farming area must ensure the environment, noise, disease prevention, and food safety according to the provisions of the law.

4. The Government shall provide detailed regulations on this Article.

Article 65. Management of honeybee farming

1. A honeybee colony for honey production is a domesticated bee colony and must ensure disease safety.

2. Organizations and individuals who keep bees for honey must ensure disease safety for the bee colonies, environmental hygiene at the bee-keeping site, and food safety for products harvested from honeybees.

3. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall regulate the distance between honeybee placement points, methods of moving bee colonies, crops, bee forage areas, and the use of honeybees for crop pollination.

Article 66. Management of Dog and Cat Breeding

Dog and cat owners must comply with the following requirements:

1. Carry out rabies vaccination for dogs and cats according to veterinary law.

2. If there is suspicion that a dog or cat shows symptoms of rabies, it must be immediately reported to the commune-level People’s Committee or local livestock and veterinary officer, and handled according to veterinary law.

3. Take measures to ensure safety for people and other animals, maintain environmental hygiene, and ensure veterinary hygiene conditions.

4. In cases where dogs or cats attack and cause damage, compensation must be made in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Article 67. Management of sika deer breeding

1. Organizations and individuals are only allowed to breed domesticated sika deer with legal origin and are responsible before the law for the origin of the sika deer being bred.

2. Organizations and individuals breeding sika deer must have enclosures suitable for the biological characteristics of the sika deer, ensuring safety for people and other livestock, maintaining environmental hygiene, complying with veterinary hygiene conditions, preventing epidemics, and ensuring food safety according to the provisions of the law.

3. The government shall provide detailed regulations on this Article.

Article 68. Management of breeding other animals

1. Organizations and individuals are allowed to breed other animals as prescribed in Articles 64, 65, 66, and 67 of this Law and other animals included in the list of other animals permitted for breeding.

2. The government issues the list of other animals allowed for farming. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development regulates the farming of other animals included in the list of animals allowed for farming.

Section 2. HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS

Article 69. Humane treatment of animals in farming

Organizations and individuals engaged in farming activities must follow the following requirements:

1. Have barns and farming spaces suitable for the animals.

2. Provide sufficient food and drinking water that is hygienic.

3. Prevent and treat diseases in accordance with veterinary law.

4. Do not beat or mistreat the animals.

Article 70. Humane treatment of animals during transportation

Organizations and individuals transporting animals must follow the following requirements:

1. Use means and equipment for transporting animals that are suitable, ensuring adequate ventilation and minimizing injury and fear for the animals.

2. Provide enough food and drinking water for the animals.

3. Do not beat or abuse the animals.

Article 71. Humane treatment of animals during slaughter

Animal slaughter facilities must meet the following requirements:

1. Have places to keep animals that ensure hygiene; provide drinking water suitable for the animals during the waiting period before slaughter.

2. Limit causing fear and pain to the animals; do not beat or abuse the animals.

3. Have measures to stun animals before slaughter; do not allow animals to witness the slaughter of other animals.

Article 72. Humane treatment of animals in scientific research and other activities

1. Animals used in scientific research and other activities must be treated humanely in accordance with the provisions of Articles 69, 70, and 71 of this Law.

2. Humane treatment of animals must respect and harmonize with religious, belief, and traditional cultural activities and be approved by the social community.

Chapter VI. PROCESSING AND MARKET OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS

Article 73. Slaughtering of animals

1. The slaughtering of animals must comply with legal regulations on veterinary, food safety, and humane treatment of animals.

2. Slaughtering facilities must have records of the origin and source of the animals to ensure traceability of the animals brought in for slaughter.

Article 74. Trading, preliminary processing, and processing of livestock products

1. Facilities for trading, preliminary processing, and processing of livestock products must comply with legal regulations on veterinary, food safety, and environmental protection.

2. Livestock products that are bought, sold, pre-processed, or processed must have clear origins to ensure traceability of the products.

3. The buying and selling of livestock products in areas where a disease outbreak has been announced must be carried out in accordance with veterinary law regulations.

4. Do not use additives, substances that support pre-processing or processing of livestock products that have expired, are not on the approved list, or are on the approved list but exceed the allowed limits; do not use chemicals of unknown origin or chemicals prohibited for use in the pre-processing or processing of food that are livestock products according to the law.

Article 75. Storage of livestock products

1. The storage of livestock products at pre-processing and processing facilities, points of sale, and during transportation must comply with provisions of veterinary law, food safety, and environmental protection regulations.

2. Do not use additives or preservatives for livestock products that are past their expiration date, not on the approved list, or on the approved list but exceeding the allowed limits; chemicals of unknown origin, or chemicals banned for use in preserving livestock products according to legal regulations.

3. Clearly state the time, expiration date, and technical regulations in the preservation of livestock products so that users of the livestock products are informed.

Article 76. Forecasting the livestock product market

1. Every year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade forecasts the market demand for livestock products, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts the supply of livestock products, and announces it in specialized bulletins and mass media.

2. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall update the prices and market of domestic livestock products weekly, the international market monthly, and according to state management requirements, and publish them in specialized bulletins and mass media means.

Article 77. Export of livestock and livestock products

1. Organizations and individuals are allowed to export livestock products and livestock that are not listed in the Catalog of livestock breeds prohibited from export.

2. The dossiers, quality of livestock and livestock products for export must meet the requirements of organizations, individuals, importing countries, and comply with the provisions of Vietnamese law.

Article 78. Import of livestock and livestock products

1. Imported livestock and livestock products must have clear origin and provenance documents, meet quality, food safety, and disease safety requirements in accordance with the provisions of the law.

2. Before entering the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at the border gate as prescribed, imported livestock and livestock products must be inspected for quality, food safety, and disease safety in accordance with Vietnamese law.

3. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall consider and decide on inspections regarding legal documents, the enforcement organization system, production and business conditions of livestock and livestock products in the country of origin in accordance with Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member in the following cases:

a) Evaluation for mutual recognition;

b) Livestock and livestock products imported for the first time from the country of origin;

c) Detection of risks affecting the quality, environment, food safety, and disease safety of livestock products imported into Vietnam;

d) In the case of imported livestock products that pose a high risk to food safety and disease safety, inspection of the production and supply facilities in the country of origin must be conducted before allowing importation.

4. Imported livestock products that violate the law regarding quality, food safety, and disease safety must be recalled and handled in accordance with legal regulations.

5. The government shall provide detailed regulations on point d, clause 3 of this Article; the import of live animals for food and the border gates allowed to receive imported live animals into Vietnam.

Chapter VII. STATE MANAGEMENT OF LIVESTOCK

Article 79. Responsibilities of the Government, Ministries, and Ministry-equivalent agencies

1. The Government shall uniformly manage state management over livestock nationwide.

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the focal agency assisting the Government in performing state management of livestock nationwide and has the following responsibilities:

a) Develop and direct the implementation of strategies, plans, and projects in animal husbandry;

b) Issue, within its authority, or submit to the competent authority for issuance and organize the implementation of policies and legal normative documents in animal husbandry;

c) Develop national technical standards and regulations in animal husbandry; stipulate quality indicators that must be announced; develop and guide good animal husbandry practices;

d) Organize statistics, basic surveys, and reporting in animal husbandry;

đ) Conduct scientific research, apply high technology, advanced technology, and new technology;

e) Develop and organize the implementation of programs and plans for training, workshops, and professional knowledge enhancement in animal husbandry;

g) Organize information dissemination, advocacy, and legal education on animal husbandry;

h) Inspect, examine, handle complaints and denunciations, and address legal violations in animal husbandry within its authority;

i) Focal point for implementing international cooperation on livestock.

3. Ministries and ministerial-level agencies concerned, within the scope of their duties and powers, are responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in performing state management of livestock.

Article 80. Responsibilities of People's Committees at all levels

1. Provincial-level People's Committees, within the scope of their duties and powers, have the following responsibilities:

a) Perform state management of livestock under their management;

b) Issue, within their competence, or submit to the competent authority for issuance of guiding documents, organize the implementation of Laws on livestock in their localities; develop and issue local technical standards on livestock;

c) Develop the content of the local livestock development strategy in accordance with the national livestock development strategy and the local socio-economic development strategy;

d) Develop and organize concentrated livestock farming areas, production and processing of animal feed associated with waste treatment and environmental protection;

d) Direct, organize propaganda, dissemination, training, and education on legal knowledge regarding animal husbandry;

e) Inspect, examine, handle complaints and denunciations, handle legal violations within their authority, and coordinate in handling legal violations related to livestock in the locality;

g) Allocate land, lease land, create land funds, ensure water sources for livestock development and growing raw material crops for animal feed, establish centralized slaughterhouses within their authority; issue, reissue, and revoke Certificates of Livestock Eligibility for large-scale livestock farms;

h) Submit to the Provincial People's Council for a decision on areas within the inner city of the city, town, or township, and residential areas where livestock farming is not allowed, decide on swiftlet farming zones, and policies to support relocating livestock facilities out of areas where livestock farming is not permitted.

2. The District People's Committee, within the scope of its tasks and powers, has the following responsibilities:

a) Direct and organize the propaganda and dissemination of legal education knowledge about livestock farming;

b) Allocate land, lease land, and create land funds under its authority for the development of livestock farming and cultivation of livestock feed raw materials;

c) Organize the management and development of livestock farming in the locality; collect statistics, conduct assessments, and support damage compensation for livestock facilities after natural disasters and epidemics;

d) Inspect, check, resolve complaints and denunciations, and handle violations of livestock farming law within the district according to its authority.

3. The commune-level People's Committee, within the scope of its duties and powers, has the following responsibilities:

a) Propagating, disseminating, and educating about the law on livestock raising;

b) Organizing the registration of livestock activities in the area;

c) Compiling statistics on livestock establishments, livestock households, and livestock feed production establishments in the area.

Article 81. Responsibilities of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations, social-professional organizations, and social organizations

1. The Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations, within the scope of their functions and duties, are responsible for propagating and mobilizing the implementation of policies and laws on livestock raising; participating in giving opinions on law-making, and implementing monitoring and social criticism in livestock raising as prescribed by law.

2. Social-professional organizations, social organizations participate in giving opinions on the development of laws in the fields related to animal husbandry, and participate in carrying out livestock activities in accordance with legal regulations.

Chapter VIII. ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS

Article 82. Effective date

1. This Law takes effect from January 1, 2020.

2. The Ordinance on Breeds of Livestock No. 16/2004/PL-UBTVQH11 shall cease to be effective from the date this Law takes effect.

Article 83. Transitional provisions

1. Organizations, designated testing laboratories; permits, certificates, confirmations, and certificates in livestock that were granted before the effective date of this Law shall continue to be used until their expiration.

2. Livestock farming establishments built and operated prior to the effective date of this Law, located in the areas specified in Clause 1, Article 12 of this Law, must cease operations or relocate to a suitable location within 5 years from the effective date of this Law.

3. Livestock farming establishments built and operated prior to the effective date of this Law that do not meet the livestock farming conditions must complete the required conditions to comply with this Law within 5 years from the effective date of this Law.

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This Law was passed by the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 14th Legislature, 6th session, on November 19, 2018.

CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân