June 22, 2006

Malaysian state of Selangor cut down number of pig farms by two-thirds

The Malaysian state of Selangor aims to gradually phase out two-thirds of its pig farms to reduce river pollution and protect its water supply, said Chief Executive of the state Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo.

The state of Selangor is Malaysia's most populous state and surrounds the country's federal capital of Kuala Lumpur and also the populous Klang Valley.

The Malays, who are overwhelmingly Muslims and are thus forbidden to eat pork, makes up 44 percent of the state's population. The rest of the population consists of Chinese (35 percent) and Indians (18 percent).

Pig farms in certain localities have already been order to close down or have their land seized by the state government. The move is expected to reduce the number of pigs in the state by about 200,000.

Farmers would also be barred from exporting their pigs to other states, he added.

The Federation of Livestock Farmers' Associations of Malaysia (FLFAM) secretary-general Sim Ah Hock said the ruling was illogical as the state was already importing pigs from other states to meet demand in the Klang Valley. He said Selangor farmers were only supplying about 35 percent of the demand.

Sim said reducing the number of pigs would only affect the prices, and could cause them to rise as much as 40 percent.

Pig farming in Malaysia is expected to get more restrictive.