Pig Farmers Fear Sharp Pig-Price Increases May Affect Consumers
- Nhong Heng
- May 23, 2019 2:26 AM
The increase is due to a Vietnamese-pig ban in Cambodia following an outbreak of African swine fever in that country
PHNOM PENH--The price of live pigs has recently jumped to about 11,000 riels (around $2.75) per kilogram, raising concerns among some people in the industry that this may put the price of the meat too high for many consumers in the country.
Srun Pov, president of the Cambodia Livestock Raiser Association, said the current price enables pig farmers to make enough profit to compensate for their losses of two years ago. “I think the current price from 11,000 to 11,500 riels is very high and the raisers can make much more profits—more than we want.
“However, we could say this is just a compensation for their huge loss of two years ago when the price dropped to about 5,000 riels [around $1.25],” he said.
According to Pov, the drastic drop in price had been caused by a large influx of pigs from Vietnam. This had affected pig farmers so much that, in 2017, only one out of 10 small-scale pig farmers had decided to remain in the business, he said.
“We want the market price for pig to be around 8,000 to 9,000 riels [around $2 to $2.25] per kilogram and this is also affordable for our buyers,” Pov said. Once the price is too high, it will affect millions of consumers.”
He added that imported pigs account for only 30 percent of the pig supply in the country while 70 percent is produced in Cambodia—with 50 percent produced by Charoen Pokphand Foods Company, known as CP.
Ly Lavil, manager of a pig farm in the Mong Reththy Group, agreed with Pov that the current price is higher than previously, noting that 9,000 riels or so (around $2.25) per kilogram is the most reasonable price.
“It’s not good when the price is too high because it is unstable,” he said. “Nobody wants pig price to be up to 11,000 riels per kilo when the price in Vietnam is only 7,000 riel [around $1.75],” he said. “I think what pig farmers want is keeping the price stable.”
As Lavil explained, the price has recently jumped due to an embargo on Vietnamese pig import. This was imposed by the Cambodian authorities in March due an outbreak of African swine fever. Once the ban is lifted, pig price may drop, Lavil said.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia consumes the meat of as many as 5,000 pigs per day. The ban on pigs from Vietnam prompted a shift in pig import from Vietnam to Thailand. Cambodia now imports daily around 1,500 pigs from Thailand.
The Agriculture Ministry officials reported last month that there had been an outbreak of African plague in the northeastern province of Ratanakkiri in March, but that it had been successfully contained from spreading.
