KOTA KINABALU: The state government is finding ways to curb pork shortages as the price of the meat continues to rise in Sabah.

       State Agriculture and Fisheries minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said factors like the effects of African Swine Fever (ASF), reduced pork production and rising pork feed prices have resulted in this.

       “Farmers have complained about the high production costs. Some even chose to discontinue operations entirely,” he said in a statement on Sunday (May 8).

       In Sabah, the price of pork has gone up at least five times since the start of the year.

       “If the prices of animal feed in the global market continue to rise, I am concerned about the long-term impact on local food security,” Kitingan said.

       He said as of March this year, the Ministry through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) reported that the ASF had directly caused the deaths of 3,259 backyard pigs, 199 wild pigs and 5,534 commercial pigs.

       “These figures do not include unreported cases of ASF infections. Therefore, I urge owners of backyard pigs and commercial pigs to cooperate with the Ministry by reporting any deaths that occur on their farms,” he said.

       “The Ministry also advises against selling or transporting live pigs, whether the pigs came from ASF-declared districts or not. All live pigs must be quarantined in situ,” Kitingan added.

       He said culling processes must adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) set by the DVS and the department must be notified for monitoring and recording purposes.

       To compensate for the decreased availability of pork in the market, he said the Ministry has temporarily permitted the importation of pork from Denmark and France.

       “The Ministry has approved a licence to a local importer to import 28,000kg of pork belly from France, and we have also approved licences to import 241,635 kg of chilled pork and other pork products from Spain, Singapore, China, Denmark and France,” Kitingan said.

       He noted that the increased price of animal feed in the global market has prompted other livestock farmers - not just pork farmers - to reduce production.

       The prices of animal feed climbed by 10 to 40 per cent between August of last year and May of this year, he said.

       Kitingan said that the price of corn has risen by 40% from RM1,500 per metric tonne in August last year to RM2,100 per metric tonne in May.

       To avoid this food shortage, he said his Ministry is currently working to increase the number of approved slaughterhouses overseas, allowing more meat, including chicken, to be imported into Sabah.

       “The ministry is continually searching for ways to ensure local demands are met while also supporting our local farmers,” he said.