Gov't: A Foreign Bull for Every Commune by 2008
By Lor Chandara
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
In a bid to combat decades of rampant inbreeding that have resulted in undersized cattle across the country, the Ministry of Agriculture plans to donate a bull bred from foreign herds to every commune in Cambodia by 2008, officials said Monday.
But Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay voiced concern that the project could be used to buy votes for Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP.
Minister of Agriculture Chan Sarun, a CPP official, said all of Cambodia's 1,621 communes will get at least one foreign-bred bull by 2008.
"We want our cattle to be larger, stronger, so they are strong enough to help plow the field. In Cambodia, cattle are still needed to help farmers out," he said.
Over the last week, the ministry distributed 15 bulls to communes in Takeo province's Tram Kak district, and 40 heifers to widows and handicapped people in Banteay Meanchey province.
Chan Sarun said foreign donors brought 200 Brahman breed heifers and 20 Brahman bulls from the Philippines to the ministry's breeding facility in Takeo province six or seven years ago.
So far, more than 1,000 calves have been born to the original herd Some have been sold to farmers, while others have been given away.
Chan Sarun said the bull project is not politically motivated.
"I don’t care who says that. It's important to help the bulls spread all over the country," he said.
Vong Saroeun, governor of Phnom Kravanh district in Pursat province, said he would welcome any donated bulls.
"In my district, villagers say they want better bulls for breeding. The cattle they own are small," he said.
But Son Chhay compared the project to a donation of water pumps to villages in Kandal province's Sa'ang district by Prime Minister Hun Sen in the 1990s.
After the CPP did poorly in the district in the 1998 national elections, the water pumps were taken away, Son Chhay said.
"This could be similar," he said. "I don't mind if this benefits the local people, but please distinguish between the state and the party."
But Sam Rainsy Party lawmaker Son Chhay voiced concern that the project could be used to buy votes for Prime Minister Hun Sen's ruling CPP.
Minister of Agriculture Chan Sarun, a CPP official, said all of Cambodia's 1,621 communes will get at least one foreign-bred bull by 2008.
"We want our cattle to be larger, stronger, so they are strong enough to help plow the field. In Cambodia, cattle are still needed to help farmers out," he said.
Over the last week, the ministry distributed 15 bulls to communes in Takeo province's Tram Kak district, and 40 heifers to widows and handicapped people in Banteay Meanchey province.
Chan Sarun said foreign donors brought 200 Brahman breed heifers and 20 Brahman bulls from the Philippines to the ministry's breeding facility in Takeo province six or seven years ago.
So far, more than 1,000 calves have been born to the original herd Some have been sold to farmers, while others have been given away.
Chan Sarun said the bull project is not politically motivated.
"I don’t care who says that. It's important to help the bulls spread all over the country," he said.
Vong Saroeun, governor of Phnom Kravanh district in Pursat province, said he would welcome any donated bulls.
"In my district, villagers say they want better bulls for breeding. The cattle they own are small," he said.
But Son Chhay compared the project to a donation of water pumps to villages in Kandal province's Sa'ang district by Prime Minister Hun Sen in the 1990s.
After the CPP did poorly in the district in the 1998 national elections, the water pumps were taken away, Son Chhay said.
"This could be similar," he said. "I don't mind if this benefits the local people, but please distinguish between the state and the party."
9 comments:
This is funny indeed. Mr. Son Chhay is very observant indeed. So this is not the first time that the CPP has donation projects. Hahahha. If Mr. Son Chhay prediction is correct, then CPP has a motive after all. Let us just hope that the CPP will not recall their donated bulls if they will not do well in the future national election. Hahahaha.
Get a grip Son Chhay,negative and implant fear campaign serve no purpose.Trade or barter is common practice for ages,You do I do you,simply.Human is animal of greed with conscience.Every man became monk is for the reason of Nirvana.Stop fool around find a decent way and mean to bolster grassroot support that I mean just not emptied smart words choice but that come with action.2008 election will be a phenomenonal victory.Remember democracy works with full stomach not any other way
Get real MPs with real gut to get votes...So off to go do real works.
SRP you go the wrong way!!! CPP to do thing for people is right, that why people will vote for you. Every want buying vote if they not lie like FUNCUNPEC. SRP to you better to keep your promise!!!!
No thank I need no education from you!
Some one do something right should get a praise,\ and when they do something wrong we punish them.
Not to say bad all the time because you hate people.
Use your brain alitle bit more before you open your mouth for negative thing 9:18pm.
Give a man a fish to eat and teach him to fish too ( I hope you know what hungry mean!)
Oh! I forget your name khemara.
No thank!
I think it is a good will of the government to provide such a gift to the poor peole, but it should be under the government program rather than under the name of any leader or political party.
It depend on what the money come from!
Please people, don't let your "emotion" gets the best of you. Hahaha. The topic is a simple one and so does the issue or concern or whatever you want to call it. The issue is not about giving and receiving the bulls at all. Of course it is beneficial to the farmers who want stronger, bigger beasts of burden.
The issue is whether the bull donation project is of the state or of the CPP. Existing circumstances to consider include the up-coming national election 2008, the CPP-controlled communes, the past CPP's donation project, and the CPP's selling of the bulls before.
Chan Sarun of the CPP said that "the bull project is not politically motivated." However, he added that by 2008, all the communes in Cambodia will get at least 1 bull.
What a timing it is! To some of the CPP critics, Sarun seems to say that if the CPP win the election in 2008, then at least 1 bull will be delivered to each of the communes.
The CPP is well-known to use this tactic with the commune leaders. For example, in the previous past national elections, the CPP promised the commune leaders that if the CPP won the elections, the lands promised to them would be secured, if not, then the commune leaders would be out of luck. It is happening again with the bull donation. It is not the people who will get the bull, it is the commune leaders who will own the bull. They probably will charge the farmers in their commune for breeding the bulls with the local cows.
So clearly, some of the critics of the CPP consider it as votes buying project. The critics have their own reasons. In the past, to gain votes, Hun Sen started water pumps donation project to the some villages. However, he recalled all of the water pumps back when he didnt gain that many votes from those villagers.
So there Hun Sen's motive was discovered. Remember, it is not the people who will own the bulls, it is the CPP-dominated commune leaders who will OWN the bulls and charge the farmers the price for having the bulls breeded with the local cows. The bulls after all are money-making breeding machinese to benefit the CPP commune leaders. This means that those commune leaders must work hard to convince the villagers in their commune to vote for the CPP if they want the money-making breeding bulls to make them prosperous.
Remember also that the Agriculture Ministry used to sell the bulls for money before. So by giving away the bulls so freely like this clearly that it has its own purpose indeed. Agriculture Ministry is run by CPP Official Sarun Chan.
Like one critic says, "I don't mind if this benefits the local people, but please distinguish between the state and the party."
So that is the ISSUE, is the project of the state or of the CPP?
Hahahha.
5:12pm
You will never understand Democracy if you educated in Viet Name!
Only the communists who have only one idea and they working on the People and Country
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