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Sabah offers to meet p'sula pork shortage

Source: Daily Express News

Date: 5 May 2006

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is prepared to export pork to Peninsular Malaysia, which is presently experiencing an acute shortage.

Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail said Thursday the State has more than enough supply of pork and is presently exporting some to Brunei, Sarawak and Labuan.

"We have more than 100 per cent self sufficiency in pork production and the State is also free from diseases which affect pig farms," he said when asked to comment on reports that pork prices have soared in the peninsular due to closure of farms.

It was reported that pork prices had reached a record RM660 per 100kg in Melaka in the wake of loss of interest by farmers to invest due to closure of farms in many states.

Chia Keok Keong, treasurer of the Federation of Livestock Farmers Associations of Malaysia, said the high rate was because of lack of supply.

With many states determined to close down pig farms, Chia said this had caused uncertainty among the farmers who were no longer willing to invest.

The production of pork in the country suffered a 40 per cent drop after the Nipah virus outbreak in 1999 with the closure of farms at Bukit Pelandok in Negeri Sembilan.

This was made worse when 20 per cent of the remaining farmers in the other states also stopped rearing pigs because of restrictions imposed by the states. Last October's outbreak of the hand, foot and mouth disease in Penang, Selangor and Johor caused many pigs to die and this was the main reason for the present shortage.

Sabah, which also banned the import of pork products from the peninsula following the outbreak of these diseases, is currently waiting an amendment to the State Animal Ordinance to enable the implementation of more stringent control on pig farming activities.

A draft for the purpose is presently still at the Attorney-General's Chambers for endorsement before it goes to the State Cabinet.

Abdul Rahim hoped new State Attorney-General, Antony Roderic @ Manthoapil Fernandez, would be able to speed up the process so that the new rule can implemented soon.

He was met after a general assembly for the Ministry officials and staff held at Wisma Pertanian here Thursday. Also present were his two Assistant Ministers, Bobbey Suan and Japlin Akim, the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Datuk Gregory Joitol, and all the department directors and deputy directors.

Department of Veterinary Services and Animal Industry (Dovsai) Sabah Director, Haji Awang Sahak Salleh, meanwhile, said department officials together with Sabah Livestock Association would organise a trade mission to Singapore on May 18.

The trade mission, to be led by Bobbey, is to reciprocate a visit by importers of livestock products from the island nation to Sabah in March last year and aims to discuss how the poultry, eggs and pork products from Sabah can be exported to Singapore.