Abstract
Biosecurity measures are essential for protecting pig health, however, these practices are not always utilized by smallholder farmers in Cambodia. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices, in terms of pig biosecurity measures, of individual stakeholders involved in pig production in rural and peri-urban households in Cambodia. A survey tool was developed and administered using Kobotoolbox, an online electronic survey tool. Surveys were conducted in the provinces of Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, and Battambang during December 2017 to September 2018. There were 225 pig farmers, 43 village animal health workers (VAHWs), 3-district veterinarians (DVs), and 81 feed store owners enrolled in the study. Results showed that several biosecurity guidelines are not followed or well understood by farmers. Specific concerning practices included using natural boars, sharing pig equipment (e.g. scales), feeding kitchen waste, managing other livestock, handling manure, and not restricting access by visitors (VAHWs or DVs, boar owners, pig buyers, neighbors, and meat sellers). Thus, education of pig smallholder farmers and VAHWs on pig biosecurity is needed for improving pig health and production, economic value, and livelihood of smallholder farmers in Cambodia.
Highlights
Education of pig smallholder farmers and village animal health workers (VAHWs) on pig biosecurity is needed for improving pig health and production, economic value, and livelihood of smallholder farmers in Cambodia
Samkol et al (2006) reported that the economic failure of Cambodian pig smallholders production is often due to high mortality of young piglets as farmers commonly buy piglets from middlemen at the time of the rice harvest and those piglets are generally not adapted to the smallholder environment and often cannot survive on poor quality diets [3]
This paper presents the biosecurity knowledge and practices of Cambodia pig smallholder farmers and VAHWs collected through in-person surveys
Summary
Poultry and pig production are major sources of household income, with pork having the largest share of the livestock market in Cambodia. Cambodia has three major types of pig production: smallholder, semicommercial, and commercial [2]. Of these production types, the largest percentage, roughly 90, is smallholder. Samkol et al (2006) reported that the economic failure of Cambodian pig smallholders production is often due to high mortality of young piglets as farmers commonly buy piglets from middlemen at the time of the rice harvest and those piglets are generally not adapted to the smallholder environment and often cannot survive on poor quality diets [3]
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