Potentials and Constraints of Small-Scale Livestock Productions in Cambodia

Livestock husbandry plays a very important role in rural areas of Cambodia. Farmers mostly have complained about the declining revenue from livestock production which supports their livelihood. Therefore, the study aimed at investigating the potentials and constraints of smallholder livestock productions in Battambang province. Primary and secondary data were collected to meet the objectives. Data were collected interviewing 204 households. Some of the advantages of the Cambodia livestock subsector are the increasing market demand: increasing domestic market for livestock and increasing demand from neighboring countries (especially cattle); the rich source of manure and other agricultural input such as transportation means, ploughing etc. More so, there is high expectation of the farmers experiencing increase in production since more supports are provided by both governmental and non-governmental organizations. On the other hand, the subsector witnesses some constraints including the low level of education of the livestock farmers, erratic market prices as a result of too many middlemen, local breed with low productivity and traditional management system still dominates the sub- sector. Scarcity of abled labor and seasonal cost is also one of the factors impeding the subsector to reaching it potential. This study suggests that to reach full potential in the livestock sector of Battambang of Cambodia, the government needs to address the infrastructural problems and private sector needs to be encouraged to invest in the sector in livestock input industries.