Govt encourages greater livestock production
Govt encourages greater livestock production
The government plans to encourage livestock breeders to produce more than 350,000 tonnes of meat and fish in the next six months in order to satisfy the high demand for produce.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, meat products look set to reach around 203,000 tonnes with fish reaching 150,000 tonnes at a 51-kilogramme average per capita.
In order to reach the target, the government urges farmers to increase their livestock capacity by 5-6 percent with buffaloes, cattle, goats and poultry being the main produce.
Fish breeders will also be urged to increase their capacity by 5-10 percent, with fishing along streams and rivers to be increased by around 30,000-35,000 tonnes.
The government has encouraged farmers to shift their businesses from family-oriented to commercial operations in order to meet the high public demand.
Breeders who own pig farms, chicken farms and fish farms are expected to increase with the aim of supplying sufficient clean and safe food for the public to eat.
Pigs are currently raised on a total of 775 farms nationwide, most of which are in Vientiane. All of these farms have the ability to produce 400,000 piglets per year and support around 90 percent of the country's pork demand.
A total of 456 farms accommodate over two million chickens including chicken used for meat and hens for eggs. Around 32,000 cattle are also raised on a total of 285 farms.
In the first six months of the year, Laos exported 90,000 head of cattle from farms and small family breeders.
As farmers begin to shift from their traditional breeding techniques to more modern ways they are using new technology and skills in raising animals, improved feed and pasture as well as vaccination.
These factors have helped the number of livestock farms expand in the first six months of this year.
Buffalo numbers have increased by 0.5 percent, cattle by 1 percent, goats by 2 percent and pigs by 3 percent. These figures indicate that around 120,000 tonnes of meat can be supplied.
Fish breeding has also expanded in Laos. Currently the country has more than 80 fingerling stations and each year around 300 million fingerlings are produced and supplied to breeders.
Most fish farms which have expand ed are located in areas connected to the Mekong River such as Vientiane, Bokeo, Borikhamxay, Savannakhet, Champassak and Attapeu provinces , as well as the capital.
The country now has some 5,573 fish farm cages and ponds and is able to supply 28,000 tonnes of fish per year or a total of 76 tonnes per day.
vientiane times
