October 30, 2006

Malaysian authorities urged to crack down on banned drugs in pig industry

A Malaysian pig farmer has urged the veterinary services and the Federation of Livestock Farmers Associations of Malaysia (FLFAM) to investigate the use of beta agonist in the Malaysian pig breeding industry.

Beta agonist is a banned drug to produce lean pork within a shorter time period.

Lim Oh Pah, vice chairman under the Malacca branch of FLFAM, said authorities should act quickly to ensure the ban is enforced.

He also urged the FLFAM to ensure quality of the pork at their emergency meeting last week.

Although it may be rare for one in the industry to act against his own interest to call for rules to be tightened in the industry, Lim said he did this to safeguard the interests of the pig farming industry for the long term.

If consumers decide not to consume pork because of beta-agonist, that would be the end of the pig farming industry, he said.

At least 16 pig farms in the state of Malacca were using this banned drug, he estimated. 

At least 70 percent of locally-bred pigs in the northern and central states were still fed beta-agonist, he added.