Animal husbandry in Cambodia is projected to enjoy a slight increase of 1.1 percent this year. The growth rate will rise to 1.6 percent in 2021, according a recent report from the government.
The projection follows anticipation of small- and large-scale commercial animal rearing, especially live pigs and chickens. As a result local people will enjoy more affordable prices, it noted.
It has government backing and will help to create jobs and generate income, especially for immigrant workers returning to the country as well as unemployed garment workers during the COVID-19 crisis, the report said.
It added that the Kingdom’s husbandry sector experienced a decline of 2.6 percent in 2019, but will rebound.
Srun Pov, president of the Cambodia Livestock Raisers Association, said yesterday that poultry, chickens and ducks in particular, are more than the local market needs.
He noted about 10,000 to 12,000 of chickens and ducks are being supplied to the domestic market daily. “The local supplies are already more than that and this is why the Ministry of Agriculture has strictly imposed a quota on imports of chickens and ducks from foreign markets to local markets in the last two months,” he said, adding that the move was made for the sake of local raisers.
According to Pov, live chickens are fetching from 5,000 riels ($1.23) to 18,000 riels ($4.43) per kilogramme. The price depends on the type of chickens and this price is affordable for local people.
However, there is still has a shortage of pork in the domestic market of 300 tonnes a day, amounting to 3,000 live pigs, said Pov.
The live pig demand in the local market is actually about 8,000 to 9,000 pigs per day, of which, 5,000 to 6,000 are supplied by local raisers daily. Of that only between 1,000 to 2,000 pigs are raised by local farmers.
“It may take up from one to more than two years for domestic raisers to be able to supply local demand,” Pov noted.
The General Directorate of Animal Health and Production at the Agriculture Ministry stated that from January to May, it accepted a request to set up 23 pig farms, compared with 2019, when there were only 10 requests.
This year, the capacity for the domestic supply of live pigs is 5,800 a day, with additional imports of 2,350 to 4,400 imports daily, it said. The price of live pigs in Cambodia is around 11,000 riels (about $2.70) to 12,000 riels per kilogramme (kg). The pork is being sold at 23,800 riels a kg, while bacon fetches 22,000 riels a kg.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
