About 10,000 live cattle have been exported to China since trading of livestock was allowed in late 2017 and demand is expected to rise, according to Dr. Ye Tun Win, Director General of the Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI).

“When cattle are moved beyond Muse, we put them on the export list,” Dr. Ye Tun Win told The Myanmar Times on Monday.

The department conducts veterinary checkups on the animals and issues recommendations to the Department of Trade certifying them fit for export before they are taken to China.

In response to market demand and in order to crack down on illegal livestock exports, the government last year allowed the export of live cattle at the Myanmar border.

Of the 261 firms which applied for export, 94 companies which conformed to the regulations were allowed to do so. “We check the animals individually and record their health status. In particular, we check whether they have foot-and-mouth disease before they are allowed over the border,” Dr. Ye Tun Win explained.

As cattle are mainly used in the agriculture sector, only surplus animals will be exported, said Permanent Secretary of MOALI Dr. Khin Zaw.

“There are procedures for exporting live cattle, depending on the market situation, domestic production, local consumption and utilisation in agriculture,” he said.

Based on initial forecasts, the actual number of cattle in Myanmar now exceeds domestic requirements, Dr. Ye Tun Win said. “We forecast being able to export 350,000 to 600,000 cattle in the next few years.”

Still, there are concerns that the price of cattle in the domestic may rise as a result of higher exports, The Myanmar Times understands. Currently, the market price of draught cow is over K10 lakh.

“When buying cattle in the markets, we may need to compete with traders from across the border, which may result in higher prices for the animals. If exports are allowed, we may not be able to afford new cattle in the future,” said U Myo Win, a cattle farmer.

By The Myanmar Times(Published: 08/02/2018)

https://www.mmtimes.com/news/livestock-exports-forecast-rise.html

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