A Change of Guard

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Thursday 11 September 2008

CPP senator to fund import of Yorkshire breeding pigs




Written by Hor Hab
Friday, 12 September 2008
Courtesy of Phnom Penh Post

Officials hope the breeders will help ease Cambodia's reliance on pork imports and provide greater sustainability for local farmers and traders.


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VANDY RATTANA
CPP senator and business tycoon Mong Reththy speaks to reporters at the Swine Business Forum in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.
A PRIVATE company is set to import pigs from a breeder in Yorkshire, England, in a move that aims to improve agricultural production in Cambodia and satisfy increasing demand among consumers.

Mong Reththy, a Cambodian People's Party senator and co-chair of the Agricultural and Agro-Industry Working Group, said he will spend US$5 million to purchase and import the Yorkshire breeders.

"The only solution for meeting local demand for pork in the future is to import genuine breeders and distribute them to local pig raisers," said Mong Reththy, who heads the agribusiness company Mong Reththy Group.

The company is funding the purchase, Mong Reththy told a meeting of the Swine Business Forum on Wednesday.
"We will import 600 male and female breeders starting from December this year to February 2009," he said.

He added the breeding program would only be successful with the cooperation of local pig farmers.

The Swine Business Forum is sponsored by the Cambodia Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) project, a joint effort between the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy and USAID that works with pig raisers to improve cooperation, production methods and health standards.


WE WANT [PEOPLE] TO SEE THAT PIGS ARE A WORTHWHILE AND PROFITABLE ENTERPRISE.


Chris Hundley, chief of party for Cambodia MSME, said the project's educational efforts have produced dramatic results.
"The pig mortality rate used to be about 50 percent prior to taking them to markets," he told the Post Wednesday.

"Farmers lacked the necessary technical skills. They did not know what medicines to use or how to take care of their stocks."
The current mortality rate is below 10 percent, he said.

Kao Phal, director of the Animal Health and Production Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, welcomed the announcement of the breeding program and said it was an important step towards greater sustainability.

"It will help us better develop the livestock sector and reduce our need for imports from other countries," Kao Phal told the Post.

"Cambodia currently needs about 7,000 pigs per day for domestic consumption, and Phnom Penh alone needs 1,600 per day," he said.

Kao Phal said Cambodia currently imports about 800 pigs each day from Thailand.
"We are cooperating with the private sector and USAID to find the best solution for a sustainable pork supply in Cambodia," he said.

"We want participants in the swine value chain to see that pigs are a worthwhile and profitable enterprise," said Reed Aeschliman, director of general development for USAID.

3 comments:

My Community Networking said...

He loves agribusiness despites limit knowledge about the business itself and always thought that it would do well in Cambodia if other part of the world can do that and that technical know how would come in the package [techincal personnel to guide through during the development]. For instance, the oil palm plantation which started in late 90's.

Yorkshire pigs are said to be viable productions in term of breeding if adhere to its diet regime, suitable condition and medical attention [vaccines].

Hope the project would take off and sucessful implement.

There's plenty of interested and potential farmers would want to come on board if the deal of the breeding programme is reasonable. But with 600 heads i stock Mong Reththy can do by himself with ease.

Khmerization said...

I think this is the only legitimate business Mong Ritthy has ever conducted. The palm oil plantation was a legitimate business in disguise. The lands, hundreds of hectares, were corruptly awarded to him by Hun Sen for free. The palm oil plantation, because it was heavily guarded and no one is allowed in, could be a plantation for growing illicit crops, like cannabis or even opium. Remember, in 1997 his vessel bound for overseas was caught with 7 tons of cannabis. Ho Sok, Funcinpec's secretary of state at the ministry of the interior, wanted to arrest him but Hun Sen declared and warned publicly that anyone who wants to arrest Mong Ritthy have to wear a steel helmet- meaning that he will use force to protect Mong Ritthy. After the 1997 coup, Hok Sok was executed by Hok Lundy at the interior ministry, his body riddled with hundreds of bullets. See? A law-enforcer was killed by a criminal.

My Community Networking said...

Khmerization, I am sorry to say that I am disagreed with you re oil palm plantation.

The land for the oil palm is a 10,000 heactares concession land approved by co-premier duly signed at the time by H.E Tao Seng Hour - Minister of Agriculature, Forestry and Fishery.

I also happended to know and still in touch with certain of the original group of foreign partners.

Yes there were about 10 guards at the plantation for safe guard the plantation, heavy machinery, people who worked and lived there on a 24/7 basis, and they are part of the fire crew - many hunderds of palm oil trees were burned and destroy by bush fire each year during the dry spell. Anyone can visit the plantation with prior permission from the plantation manager on site.

Mong Reththy has other businesses interest - Port, construction, curde palm oil plant Etc..

His port is adjustion to his oil palm plantation - +6km off national route 4, was visited by a high delegate [Ambassador, Customs and a group of elite team] from USA during the construction phase.

I have heard of the vessel's affair that you mentioned but I am not sure so I cannot tell you exactly what's all about.

What I can tell you is that he visited USA in 1999, so did his son in law and daughter and had no problem obtaining his visa which could say that he is not balcklisted by USA. His wife also visited Australia in 1998.