The price of meat will be higher during Khmer New Year, with prices rising between 2,000 riel and 3,000 riel ($0.50 and $0.75) per kilogram, according to vendors.

Som Sreymom, a pork vendor at Kandal market, said the price of pork would hit as much as 20,000 riel a kilogram, up from its current 17,000 riel.

She said she expects to sell around 100 kilograms per day, twice what she normally sells.

Beef vendor Sao An, 60, said beef prices are expected to increase from 32,000 riel to 35,000 riel a kilogram, but due to a shortage of beef, prices could rise even higher.

Egg vendor Phann Sros said eggs prices will also see an increase, going up about 1,000 riel for 10 duck eggs. “Prices will not decrease in this hot season because ducks and chickens are providing fewer eggs,” she said. “The demand for eggs is high for this Khmer New Year holidays.”

Srun Pov, president of the Cambodian Pig Raisers’ association, said the price of live pigs would not increase.

“We are suppliers of living pigs; we cannot increase prices as we want because supply does not respond to the market,” he said. “They will import from neighbouring countries.”

He said Cambodia supplies about 2,000 living pigs per day across the country, meeting roughly half the country’s demand. The other half is supplied by imported pigs, he said.

Dy Piseth, sales and marketing manager at Soma Group, which farms chickens, said his company did not increase production before the holiday.

“Food prices will increase a few days before the holidays, but during holidays or later, prices will return to normal,” he said.