A boy herds goats along a road in Monywa, Sagaing Division. Pic: Hein Latt Aung

EXPORTS of goat meat could earn Myanmar US$50 million a year if goat breeding programs were extended, the minister of livestock and fisheries said.

“If we can breed one million goats (twice a year), we can get two million goats a year for export,” the minister, Brigadier General Maung Maung Thein, said in Yangon during a weekly meeting of livestock and fisheries entrepreneurs, referring to the six-month breeding schedule for goats.

“We tried to export chicken to Singapore in the past but we haven't succeeded as there are many restrictions. Goat meat has great potential so we have to increase breeding of goats,” he said.

The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries would support the development of meat goat breeding programs, including through loans from the Myanmar Livestock and Fisheries Development Bank, Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein said.

Goat farms would be set up in central Myanmar’s Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing divisions.

Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein said his ministry was considering providing loans for up to a third of the cost of each goat, meaning farmers may able to borrow K10,000 per goat, which are usually about K30,000 each.

“K500 million is designated for each division, so the bank will provide K1.5 billion in loans to goat breeders from the three divisions,” the minister said.

Local authorities would determine who are “recognised” breeders and the Myanmar Livestock Federation and the Livestock Breeding and Veterinarian Department would manage the issuing of loans and collection of repayments, he added.

Goat shows have been held in Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing divisions in recent weeks to help ensure farmers had access to the most suitable breeds of meat goats.

“In the past, we used to get $25 for a frozen goat weighting 18-20 kilograms. If we can raise the weight to 40 kilograms, we could sell for $50,” Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein said.

“That way, if we exported one million goats annually, we could get $50 million a year.”

Malaysia currently buys most of Myanmar’s goat exports, although the quantity was negligible, according to the minister.

Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein said plans were also underway to provide goats for export from the massive livestock zone being established near Nay Pyi Taw.
The zone is to include 20,000 dairy cows, 100,000 goats and one million chickens.

“At that zone alone, we can get 200,000 goats annually,” he said.