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Cambodia: Livestock conflict brewing between pig farmers, importers and officials
Livestock importers are lobbying the government to allow more pigs into the country.
Four firms submitted proposals to the minister of economy and finance and the commerce minister asking permission to import swine. They say consumers will benefit from cheaper pork prices – and higher sales will increase government revenue by $3 million a year. The companies say local farmers will benefit from competitive bidding in a free market.
Cambodian pig breeders disagree. They say they support the Agriculture Ministry’s decision to limit foreign shipments, arguing that importing cheaper pigs from countries such as Thailand will put them out of business and may introduce diseases into domestic livestock farms.
President of the Cambodia Livestock Raisers Association Srun Pov recommended that would-be importers try raising pigs domestically. They would then realise how hard it is to compete, he said. Pov said cheaper imports could kill the domestic market, leaving Cambodians reliant on foreign pork. He said the risk of infection also threatened domestic pigs.
“We have had a lot of experience of imports bringing in diseases that make Cambodian farmers’ pigs have no buyers, losing [farmers’] income to support their families,” he said.
Pov added that if, or when, the government banned imports it would help local farmers expand their businesses and sell pork at a reasonable price. It would also help farmers supplying pig feed, such as corn, beans and rice, he said.
“So if you want to help farmers and ensure the safety of local pork, importers should invest in raising pigs rather than importing them,” Pov said.
Live pig imports from Vietnam to Cambodia were made illegal because of an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in 2019. Cambodia allows live pig imports from Thailand under strict health controls.
In April, Cambodian authorities culled more than 100 pigs to prevent the spread of ASF. It was the first outbreak since 2019. The pigs were culled in Takeo after illegal traders tried to transport them to Phnom Penh from the border. Authorities say they had been brought in from Thailand via Laos.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50918764/livestock-conflict-brewing-between-pig-farmers-importers-and-officials/