Pork producers receive piglet import permission

Pork producers receive piglet import permission

The pork industry has been given the green light to restart imports of piglets after the Department of Livestock and Fisheries lifted a ban in place in recent months.

Future imports should approved by the department to ensure quality of health and supply, the department Director General, Dr Bounkhouang Khambounheuang told Vientiane Times yesterday.

A projected surplus of over 20,000 head in Vientiane and related issues had led the department to ban the import of piglets, he said.

P roducers may import the piglets but they should apply to the department for an import license, Dr Bounkhouang said .

“Before the department will issue a license to the entrepreneurs, we will inspect their farm to confirm how many piglets they need to import and will check first if other pig producers can supply those needs or not,” he said.

Dr Bounkhouang said that if some Lao breeders have a piglet surplus, the department will suggest and connect buyers.

If there are no farms with a surplus the department will agree to importation.

Such work requires close cooperation with every relevant sector especially the livestock and fisheries sector at provincial and district level around the country.

Veterinary authorities at each border checkpoint must also take responsibility to verify imported stock.

Illegal piglet imports by some traders and entrepreneurs brought disease which impacted on the industry in the past.

As such safety measures were needed to prevent impacts to Lao pig producers as they improved their breeding standards and safety, Dr Bounkhouang said.

With the country integrating with the Asean Economic Community next year, every pig farm in Laos should bring their enterprise up to international standards especially regarding sows, animal feed and livestock accommodation, he said.

The country currently has about 10,000 sows and produces animal feed to supply about 60 percent of domestic demand, so the country still needs to import to satisfy these requirements.

By increasing of the number of animal feed processing factories and sweetcorn plantations in Laos, he believed that the country would be able to produce sufficient animal feed by 2018.

Mismatches between supply and demand mean pork prices in Laos are still considered high at approximately 40,000 kip a kg.

vientiane times