February 10, 2023

Malaysian butchers association urges government to lift ban on swine from Perak state

The Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Butchers' Association has urged the Malaysian government to lift a ban on the shipment of swine from Perak state, in order to address the current domestic pork shortage, Free Malaysia Today reported.

Lee Peng Hock, chairman of the association, said the Klang Valley area (comprising of Selangor state and the Malaysian federal territory of Kuala Lumpur) requires 3,000 swine daily to cater to current demand, but butchers are only able to obtain 500 heads per day from farms in Selangor.

He said 80% of pork supplies are shipped from the states of Penang and Perak. Pork supply from Penang state has been stopped due to an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak reported there.

Lee said a private company tested Perak farmers' swine for ASF. Despite the fact that the swine were found to be uninfected, Malaysia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security refused to accept the reports.

Lee said that the shortage had raised the price of pork in the Klang Valley and urged the government to resolve the issue as soon as possible before supplies run out.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said a total of 23 swine farms in Penang were found to be infected with ASF as of January 28.

ASF was most recently detected in a wild boar in the state of Negeri Sembilan.

-      Free Malaysia Today