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Cambodia: Chicken and pig farm prices fall

The price of live chicken and pig sales at farms during the Pchum Ben festival, a yearly peak season for local demand, saw a slight decline this year because of COVID-19, according to theCambodia Livestock Raisers Association (CLRA).

Srun Pov, president of the CLRA, said that it is different from last year when both rose in price and end-use market increased nearly 50 percent during the period. He said this year the price at farms has decreased from 13,000 riel before Pchum Ben to 12,000 riel per kilogrammes for live pigs.

“We have noted that during the Pchum Ben season the price overall slightly decreased as people’s income fell because of the effects of COVID-19,” he said.

However, Pov said that the fall in chicken prices was because of oversupply as well. He said current daily demand is 150,000 chickens but the total available has reached  200,000.

Some farmers started to diversify their farming into raising livestock and growing vegetables since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to improve their livelihoods.

“The decline in prices is down to both family-oriented livestock-raising and… supply side surpluses,” he added. However, the end-use market prices slightly increased.

He said the price of chicken has dramatically declined to between 4,000 riels and 8,000 riels a kilogramme, according to the quality of the meat.

According to figures from CLRA, 6,000 live pigs are supplied to the market per day of which about half are imported.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has allowed imports of between 2,000 and 3,000 live pigs a day, mostly from neighbouring countries.

Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50764199/chicken-and-pig-farm-prices-fall/