Construction of Masans $44mn pig farm ceases in central Vietnam

The pig farm developed by Masan Nutri – Farm Company, a Masan Group subsidiary, is being built in the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An

The construction of a VND1 trillion (US$44.2 million) pig farm being built by Vietnamese food producer Masan Group has been suspended in the north-central province of Nghe An due to a lack of legitimate paperwork.

Following a directive from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Nghe An People’s Committee on Wednesday ordered that construction on the project be ceased.

The developer, Masan Nutri-Farm Company, a subsidiary of Masan Group, was found to be executing the project without an approved environmental impact assessment report from competent authorities.

Construction of the 223-hectare farm started on November 5, 2016 with an investment of VND1 trillion.

The facility was expected to be completed by Q1 2017, with swine raised on the farm to be fit for consumption by Q1 2018.

With a capacity of about 45,000 pigs, the farm is anticipated to be the largest of its kind in Nghe An Province.

Since the farm's groundbreaking last year, several barns, a wastewater treatment system, operating center, and workers’ lodges have been built despite the environment ministry only having received the project’s environmental impact assessment report in 2017.

As the construction was conducted before the approval of the report, the ministry has ordered that the developer cease its construction.

Masan was also requested to apply certain measures to protect the local environment and prepare for any potential pollution that might occur during the suspension period.

The Nghe An administration was tasked with imposing a suitable penalty for the violation.