Movement of live poultry via trade is a known risk factor for the introduction, spread and establishment of infectious pathogens. Movement tracing is an important component of disease control efforts by allowing biocontainment to be efficiently and timely put in place in the event of a disease outbreak. Furthermore, farmers are likely to receive financial benefits through consumers being prepared to pay a premium for a traceable product of higher food quality and safety. In the context of the poultry production sector, traceability schemes are considered to pose significant challenges with respect to its practicality and sustainability. In Viet Nam, affected by HPAI H5N1, smallholder poultry producers (less than 2,000 heads) generally trade live birds in custom-made baskets. A pilot study was implemented in three provinces of Northern Viet Nam (Ha Noi, Ha Tay and Ha Nam) to identify poultry marketing practices and to assess the feasibility of establishing a formal tracing system for domestic poultry in the context of smallholder poultry value chains
