Optimizing Livestock Structure: The Case of Cattle, Pig and Chicken in Cambodia

Majority of the rural household in Cambodia highly depend on income from agriculture more specifically on the livestock production. Most these farmers operate a poor livestock management system. Nationally, the livestock trend in Cambodia is relatively stagnant and majority of these livestock are owned by the rural household rearing different livestock side by side. This study intend to provide an optimal livestock farm size for the three common livestock (chicken, pig and cattle) and the factors limiting the rural farmers from having an efficient combine farming system. Using 2015 survey data from 204 household in 18 villages of Battambang, Cambodia; the study employed optimization model to analyze the optimal livestock farming size for (1) cattle-pig-chicken combined and (2) cattle, pig and chicken individually. According to the result, majority of the farmers do not manage their livestock farm optimally most largely as a result of livestock expense constraints. The model suggest that for an optimal combined livestock farming considering other factors such as death rate and income, cattle size should be increased by 14%, pig and chicken to be reduced by 50% and 20% respectively. Thus the study suggests providing farmers access to capital to farmers and wider extension services will go a long way not only adjusting the size of the diversified livestock but also providing effective livestock management.