KUCHING, Jan 4: Capping prices for pork is only a short-term measure and would not resolve pork supply shortage issue, says Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen.
He held that importation of pork and modern pig farming will stabilise pork prices in Sarawak in the long term.
“The price control proposed by the State Government can only resolve the price hike problem in short term but it will not resolve the supply shortage issue.
“The State Government should allow more traders to import pork,” said Chong in a press statement today.
He said as 90 per cent of pig farms in Sarawak were affected by the African Swine Fever (ASF), it is also time for the State government to embark upon a program to encourage more affected pig farmers to adopt modern pig farming methods.
This to him, will involve more government grants and soft loans to be given out to assist the farmers to upgrade their facilities and farms.
“We hope that with proper planning and cooperation between the State and Federal governments, the pig farming industry can not only be revived from this African Swine Fever but can take a leap to a higher level of modern farming,” said Chong who is also Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chief.
Chong had met up today with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin to discuss the issue of high pork prices and the future of pig farming industry in Sarawak.
He said though the pig farming industry is under the Sarawak state autonomy, the discussion touched on ways and manners in which the federal government under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security can assist in the development of pig farming industry in Sarawak.
“Not only have prices of pork gone up many times this year, but there is also clearly a huge shortage of pork supply in Sarawak.
“Ironically, the Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi has, as recent as Nov 30, 2022, informed the Sarawak DUN (State Assembly) that the supply of pork in Sarawak is in surplus.
“It was only in a statement that he released a few days ago that he admitted there is a shortage of pork supply in Sarawak which contributed to the increase in pork prices,” said Chong who is also Padungan assemblyman. — DayakDaily
