GEORGE TOWN: Penang has sufficient pork supply despite 11 commercial pig farms in Seberang Prai reported cases of African Swine Fever (ASF).
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Penang, being the exporter of pigs, has a surplus of supply.
"Although there are pig farms here affected by ASF, we still have surplus and above self sufficiency," he told newsmen in Komtar here today.
Chow said, for now, the export was slightly affected as they could not move the pigs out of the state.
He, however, could not reveal the losses suffered by the affected pig farms here.
Yesterday, it was reported that another four pig farms in Seberang Prai had reported cases of ASF, bringing to 11 the total number of commercial pig farms affected.
The ASF outbreak, which had been declared as a "disaster" in the state last Friday, showed no signs of abating.
To date, more than 4,000 pigs from three pig farms had been culled with carcasses buried on site and at locations determined by the state government.
Meanwhile, Chow said the state government was working with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) for available land to bury the carcasses of pigs culled.
"We hope to minimise any impact to the environment and ensure the carcasses are buried far from residential areas," he added.
Asked if it was possible for the pigs culled to be burnt instead of being buried, Chow said the numbers affected were big.
Last Friday, Penang declared the ASF outbreak in the state as a "disaster" after cases were reported in seven commercial pig farms in the Seberang Prai Selatan (SPS) and Seberang Prai Tengah (SPT) districts, involving 25,000 pigs.
All 25,000 pigs from the initial seven affected farms would be culled in stages to prevent the spread of ASF.
The culling exercise may take weeks to complete.
There are 124 pig farms in Penang — 64 in Seberang Prai Utara, 52 in Seberang Prai Selatan, four in Seberang Prai Tengah and four on the island — involving a total of 267,348 pigs.
The outbreak in Seberang Prai Selatan district alone involved 139,795 pigs.
There is currently no effective vaccine against ASF.