Phnom Penh: Minister of Agriculture, Veng Sakhon, has explained that raising animals and killing them for family consumption is not punishable by law. He has told EAC News that the law governing the capturing of meat for commercial purposes without permission is designed to prevent the spread of animal-to-animal or animal-to-human diseases.

He says, “For commercial purposes, people have to ask for a permission letter, because our goal is to prevent infectious diseases such as cows with lumpy skin disease. Sick cows being slaughtered and sold cheaply, causing things to spread like swine disease. If we eat in our own family, it is okay, but when we sell and people buy it, it infects others."

He was reacting to Saturday morning’s Facebook post by the Prime Minister questioning why someone with goat meat in Kandal province had had the meat confiscated and been arrested. The Prime Minister asked the Agriculture Minister for an explanation saying that it was unacceptable and compassion needed to be shown to the people involved.