Cambodia increases border control for pig imports from Thailand
African swine fever outbreaks in Thailand make pig farmers in Cambodia nervous. Although Cambodia has recorded multiple ASF cases in pig farms for the last two years, farmers and officials worry about a new wave of infections that may destroy all the progress reported in the last 18 months.
Battambang province’s agriculture officials are already on the ground checking the small-scale pig farms to make sure none of the animals are infected with ASF, reports the Khmer Times newspaper.
Its veterinary department director Pal Seth said yesterday that he visited pig farms in two provinces after having heard of the ASF outbreak in Thailand.
“I had to explain to the breeders on ASF, its symptoms and how to prevent the pigs from getting infected with the disease,” he said, adding it’s important to educate breeders on the ASF, although due to Covid, many of the pig farms had closed their businesses and only a handful was operating.
The Thai government has already swung into action to inspect pig farms nationwide to prevent a major outbreak of the ASF after reports that the nation detected its first case in a pet hog.
However, the disease may be present in Thailand for at list nine months now. In March 2021, Vietnam decided to suspend live pig imports from Thailand due to traces of African swine fever found in some of the pigs imported. Pig breeders in Thailand have also expressed worry over the outbreak, especially with there being no vaccine to protect animals against the ASF.
Meantime, officials in Bangkok decide to curb live pigs exports for 3 months in order to shore up domestic supplies. Pork prices in Thailand rose by 30% this January compared with the same month a year ago and the Thai government hopes to keep inflation under control.
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