Banning the import of pork from Thailand made the increase of demand for pork in Phnom Penh up to 20 percent in the past year by requiring about 2,000 pigs per day.

“We may face a serious shortage of pork at market in the future if the well-to-do in the country are not quick enough to invest their wealth in pig raising to help increase supply,” Mong Reththy, the president of Mong Rethy Group, was quoted by the Post as saying.

This year 730,000 pigs, worth a combined US$182.5 million, will be required to support Phnom Penh market demand. A live pig of about 100 kilograms or over is worth about 1 million riels ($250), According to Mong Reththy.

The Post quoted Kao Phal, director of the Department of Animal Health and Production as saying that about 2 million pigs are sold nationwide each year.

Five domestic firms had been licensed by the Ministry of Agriculture last year to import 800 pigs per day from Thailand to support Phnom Penh market demand.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 8:01 pm and is filed under Economy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.