Improving Competitiveness Among Small-Scale Pig Farmers: Challenges, Innovations and Sustainable Practices in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Small-scale pig farmers face particular challenges of limited resources, fluctuating market demand and increasing competitiveness. This study aimed to assess the level of innovation, production efficiency and competitiveness of small-scale pig farms. The study was conducted in the Mekong Delta including 3 provinces of Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Long An with the participation of 360 farmers selected for survey by random sampling method. Quantitative data analysis was performed, including descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression (MLR) to evaluate the influence of innovations and production efficiency on farm competitiveness. The results showed that the majority of pig farms had an average level of innovation application (78.1), specifically innovation in production capacity. In ad-dition, the farm production efficiency of 61.7 was classified as effective. Furthermore, the competitiveness of the sur-veyed pig farms was mostly at the medium level (75.8). Notably, increased innovation was positively correlated with competitiveness with 1 value of innovation increasing the farm’s competitiveness value by 0.410 (β = 0.410; p < 0.000), suggesting that improvements in innovation practices can lead to market success. In contrast, the levels of productivity did not significantly influence competitiveness and hence could be a direction for further investigation. In conclusion, increasing innovation is a factor that contributes to enhancing the competitiveness of small-scale pig farming. Support programs, including training on innovation adoption and financial assistance, are essential to promote sustainable development in small-scale pig farming. © 2025 Kumar et al.