Pork price is still stable despite govt import ban
Pork price is still stable despite govt import ban
The price of pigs and pork at some pig farms is still stable despite the government having announced it would suspend the import of piglets and pork over the last few months.
The pig price at the farm gate has seen them still selling for about 18,000 kip per kg, while pork sells for 35,000 kip per kg in the market, according to a Vientiane pig breeder, S engdeuan farm.
“We set this price many months ago before the announcement but sometimes the pig price drops and sometimes it rises due to domestic competition,” said the Sengdeuan farm owner, Ms Sengdeuane Thedsombandit.
She could not offer an insight into whether pig prices at other farmers would be better or more stable.
The announcement was issued by the Livestock and Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which aims to protect local pigs and pork suppliers as they are currently able to produce sufficient supply to meet domestic demand.
The domestic production of pork and piglets was sufficient for local consumption and there was even a surplus in Vientiane so meat could be supplied to the provinces, according to the announcement.
The department urged all livestock and fisheries sections around the country, as well as pork producers and suppliers, to impose the ruling.
The illegal importatio n of pork and piglets affects pig producers and pig breeders, especially in Vientiane, and makes it difficult to balance meat supply.
The announcement directed all provincial livestock and fisheries sections to strengthen veterinary inspections at the borders and carry out strict checks to prevent the import of pork products.
People who violate the ruling will be fined by the authorities, while any pork or piglets that are imported illegally will be disposed of.
The announcement did not specify how long the suspension would last but the Livestock and Fisheries Department official expected it would run for about one year.
Pork is one of several items for which the price is controlled and the government has set a maximum price to prevent traders from increasing their prices unreasonably.
World Trade Organisation (WTO) directives state that when imports have a severe impact on the local economy, a country can postpone imports but should set a deadline on the suspension unless there is no limit to the ban, according to the Department of Foreign Trade Policy under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Many Lao farmers and suppliers are having difficulty earning an income after their businesses slumped because the market was flooded with imports.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry show that 668 farms with around three million pigs were raised across the country in 2014, a growth rate of 6 percent that year.
The department says these numbers and a strengthening of the industry will enable Laos to produce a surplus of pork for sale.
