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Enough pork for Chinese New Year

KUALA LANGAT: There will be adequate supply of pork for the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities.

This was despite a temporary ban on the import of frozen meat and pig based products from China following the African Swine Fever (AFS) outbreak.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Minister Sim Tze Tzin said there is an estimated 24,288 metric tonnes of ready supply of pork for the two day festival.

Based on a market survey, the demand for the meat this year will be about 16,024 metric tonnes.

“This means the supply of pork will be sufficient for Chinese New Year. Currently, the average ex-farm price of live pig is RM6.55 per kilogramme. In fact, the price of pork is dropping and it is quite stable now.

“The ex-farm prices, in the past three months from Oct to Dec, has also dropped from RM7.25 to RM7.20 and RM7 per kilogramme. Now, it is at RM6.55 per kilogramme. The price is quite stable and it will not shoot up.

“The price has gone down and this means we have enough supply to meet the demand. For pork meat in Malaysia, we have reached 93 per cent of self sustainable level and we only import 7 per cent,” said Sim today.

He said there was no sudden spike of price for lean meat, spare ribs and pork belly since Malaysia enforced the temporary ban of products from China.

Sim said with the average of ex-farm price at RM6.55 per kilogramme, there was no reason for traders to increase its price at retail level.

“This comes under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry which is ready to take action if there are excessive profiteering by retailers. The Ministry will also announce the Chinese New Year price control scheme,” added Sim.

Sim said this after a visit to a pig farm in Tanjung Sepat and a dialogue with the Kuala Langat Pig Farmers Association.

It was attended by Tanjung Sepat assemblyman Borhan Aman Shah, Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Quaza Nizamuddin Hassan Nizam and Selangor Veterinary Services Department director Dr Hassuzana Khalil.

He said frozen suckling pig imported from Spain and Vietnam, especially, will also be tested if it contains the ASF virus.

He said based on a 2018 statistics, Malaysia imports as much as 968,310 kilogrammes of suckling pigs for the local market.

As for waxed meat and Chinese sausages, which is a must have delicacies during the celebrations, Sim said there was no problem in supply as there are local producers in Tanjung Sepat.

Sim also warned Malaysians visiting China against bringing home any pork based products and refrain from visiting any pig farm.

He also said the association took heed of Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s concern over the discharge of pig waste into the nearby rivers and sea as well as the pungent odour from the farms.

“We thank Sultan Selangor for reminding us and the farmers will take steps to treat the effluent and to follow procedures so that the environment will not be affected.”

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