By William Isau
SIBU, Jan 6: The Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) Sìbu Branch is calling on the State and federal governments to stabilise pork prices not just for Chinese New Year (CNY) but year-round.
In a statement today, its chairman Chambai Lindong said that the union is concerned with the high price of pork that is now being sold at the market.
“SDNU Sìbu wants to see that such actions should be taken not only during Chinese New Year but also throughout the year to ensure that the price of pork is affordable to the ordinary people, especially those from the lower income group,” he said.
He said pork is a staple for the Dayak community as it is served as one of the main dishes during functions, festivals, celebrations, and funerals.
“For them, there is hardly any occasion that takes place without pork. For these reasons, they rear pigs in longhouses and villages,” he added.
However, the spread of the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) wiped out the pigs reared. Consequently, villagers have no choice but to buy pork from the market and pork outlets.
“The high price of pork is badly affecting the lives and the livelihood of the Dayaks and the Ibans in particular, especially those from the middle and the lower income group. Pork is now unaffordable to many families,” he said. — DayakDaily
