The government in Bhutan says it is taking steps to support the piggery sector following concerns over market distortions, rising pork prices, and difficulties faced by farmers.
 |
| Source: bbs.bt |
Agriculture and Livestock Minister Younten Phuntsho told parliament that the problems in the sector were not caused solely by overproduction. He said some farmers were hoarding pork to create artificial demand and sell at higher prices.
The minister was responding to questions from Member of Parliament Lhakpa Tshering Tamang, who raised concerns about financial losses faced by farmers due to unsold pork and asked what measures were being planned to protect producers.
Government figures show that out of 66,440 households involved in agriculture nationwide, 4,376 are engaged in pig farming. Piggery is practiced in 18 of Bhutan’s 20 districts.
The minister said the government plans to strengthen support for livestock businesses through the Bhutan Livestock Development Corporation Limited within a week. He said about 800 metric tonnes of products would be supported under a programme valued at Nu 33 million.
He added that domestic sales of meat products were worth nearly Nu 4 billion, creating opportunities for pig farmers and the wider livestock sector. The government said it would continue supporting private production and marketing initiatives.
On requests for cold storage and meat processing centres in southern Bhutan, the ministry said it is currently using existing facilities and will assess the need for additional infrastructure in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment
What's do you think about this News Story? Share your thoughts here, let's learn together...