A yard, the cattle exporters body will be constructed near Mandalay Region

A yard will be constructed near Mandalay Region for the cattle designated for export to China will be mustered into there, according to the Mandalay Region Cattle Exporters Association (MRCEA).
“At present, live cattle export to China through the Muse land border is facing hardships due to housing difficulties and high feedstuff cost,” said Chairperson U Soe Naing of the exporters association.
“We are discussing this matter with key participants. Muse border is too small to handle thousands of cattle. If the number of cattle exceeds 5,000, housing difficulties occur; therefore, we need cattle yard. PyinOoLwin has abundant pasture land. It is easy to buy hay and corn there as well,” he added. Mandalay Region Cattle Exporters Association will submit a report to the authority concerned to build cattle yard.
Additionally, the association is planning to raise the cattle to gain weight in a bid to receive a reasonable price in Muse border, he said.
“The cattle are departing from distant places such as Magway and Sagaing and leaving for Muse border. For instance, if a cow is weighed 100 visses (a viss equals to 3.6 pounds), the cattle lose weight to 80-85 visses. The weight loss happens during commercial long-haul transport. Nevertheless, China manages to feed the cow to maximize the value before reselling them. Therefore, we are trying to adopt the new feeding system for fattening cattle,” he elaborated.
About 15,000 heads of cattle, owned by 150 companies, are now stranded in Muse border as China stopped purchasing cattle. The labour wages and feedstuff cost burden them. It costs K400,000-600,000 to take care of 100 heads of cattle every day.
China permits live cattle import only after ensuring the cattle is free from 20 diseases, including Foot and Mouth Disease, along with vaccination certificates, health certificates, and farming registration certificates. Thus, the officials concerned from the two countries are negotiating this.
Earlier, 1,500-2,000 heads of cattle were daily traded through Muse border. With China stepping up border control as precautionary measures for the COVID-19 and other reasons, it was three months that China halted cattle trade, MRCEA Chair U Soe Naing affirmed.
In the meantime, we are concerned about possible market manipulation when the supply is surpassing the demand. Additionally, Myanmar’s live cattle export is heavily relying on the China market due to a fair price. However, Myanmar has other external markets such as Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh, he added.
The Ministry of Commerce grants a permit to each company for 100 cattle export, and the pass is valid for three months. The companies can be taken legal actions if they do not sell the cattle during the three months.
Live cattle export was allowed in late 2017, to eradicate illegal exports, creating more opportunities for breeders and promoting their interests.
Myanmar has around 500,000 heads of cattle for export beyond domestic consumption, the association stated. (Translated by Ei Myat Mon)

(The Global New Light of Myanmar: https://www.gnlm.com.mm/exporters-body-to-construct-cattle-yard-near-mandalay-region/ )

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