Govt promotes livestock for export
Govt promotes livestock for export
The government plans to export about 149,500 head of buffalo and cattle next year in order to boost the livelihoods of local people.
The main areas for export are along the borders connected with China and Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reported.
So far this year, the country has exported 119,200 head of buffalo and cattle, reaching around 90 percent of the plan, the Director General of the ministry's Planning and Cooperation Department Mr Xaypradeth Chounlamany said at a meeting in Vientiane this week.
To reach the target, the ministry is set to pay more attention to promoting livestock breeding with the hopes of increasing the rate by 10-12 percent.
The ministry would also aim to promote livestock breeding and encourage farmers to adopt modern techniques and technologies, Mr Xaypradeth said.
Most local farmers in Laos are still using traditional methods of breeding, especially farming as a small family business. The farmers lack education on technical breeding techniques such as fattening the cattle and vaccinations to protect the health of the animals.
The number of buffaloes and cattle in Laos is expanding slowly but the market demand for beef is still high.
There are currently 195 cattle farms in Laos, with 28,000 head of cattle.
Some provinces have encouraged farmers to establish a livestock breeding group for commercial products, while some entrepreneurs have recently decided to invest in this business.
Livestock, especially buffaloes and cattle, can help resolve the living conditions of rural people as they breed them for sale and the income can be used to buy necessities and support their family.
Some farmers sell their livestock to support their children's education, while some sell it in order to obtain finances for health treatments when they get sick from diseases or accidents.
The ministry is also set to support the sale of meat such as pork, fish and poultry.
According to the ministry, pigs are currently raised on a total of 775 farms with 291,000 head, most of which are in Vientiane.
Fish farms around the country comprise of 5,600 nets and are able to supply around 28,000 tonnes of fish per year or 76 tonnes a day.
Poultry is raised on more than 400 farms with two million birds, of which 250 farms consist of hens for eggs that supply about one million eggs a day and chicken and duck farms for meat.
vientiane times
