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While on a recent trip to Thailand, Stephen Curtis, chairman of international pig breeding company ACMC, spotted rat carcases hung up for sale at the roadside. They are caught in the wild and must be pretty daunting, he says, since they weigh 2-3 kg each. Apparently, they are quite popular barbecued and are seen as a cheap form of protein.
However, Stephen draws an interesting comparison with the price paid for pigs by UK processors. The Thai rat-catcher is paid around £1 more per kg — about 125 baht (£2.50) per kg liveweight, compared with around £1.50 live paid to British pig farmers for their pigs who are currently losing money on every pig produced. The Thai rat carcases fetch around £5 per kg at the roadside stall!
He says he declined to try these and he will stick to pork, consumption of which is growing very fast as living standards in Thailand improve.
28 December 2011 - ACMC
