Pork prices soar after African Swine Fever outbreak in January

New Straits Times

18-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: The prices of pork have risen since the beginning of this year, due to an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Tanjung Sepat.
A butcher at the Tanjung Sepat market, only identified as Tong, said customers have started reducing their purchases to manage the higher prices.
"They would previously buy 1kg of pork belly. Now, it's maybe just one or two strips, around 600g," he said.
A Straits Times report said the current price for 1kg of fresh pork belly in the Klang Valley is RM40, a 33 per cent increase from RM30 in 2020.
This price surge has led some consumers to opt for more budget-friendly alternatives like chicken and fish.
The death of 300 sows during the ASF outbreak in January significantly impacted pig farmers.
The outbreak led to the culling of approximately 30,000 market-ready pigs, each weighing around 120kg, according to Malaysia Pork Sellers Association chairman Chow Poh Yuen.
In 2023, Malaysia produced 1.24 million live pigs and imported 68,300 metric tonnes of pork valued at RM943.82 million. The imports were four times higher than in 2021, indicating a growing reliance on foreign pork.
The first ASF outbreak in Malaysia was detected in wild boar and backyard pigs in Sabah in February 2021.
Subsequent outbreaks in Perak, Pahang, and other states led to significant reductions in live pig production. In response, the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) banned interstate transportation of pigs to curb the spread of the infection.
Peninsular Malaysia saw a nearly 30 per cent drop in live pig production, from 1.37 million in 2021 to 990,736 last year.
However, Selangor had a slight increase in production, rising from 227,840 in 2021 to 254,425 last year. The increase was short-lived due to the ASF outbreak in Selangor since January this year, leading to wider culling of livestock in Tanjung Sepat.
The ASF outbreak has also affected abattoir operations, with some now operating only three days a week due to the shortage of pigs. This has pushed live pig prices from RM750 to RM1,780 per 100kg.
To address the shortage, Malaysia is importing pork from countries like Spain, the Netherlands, and Canada.
Yesterday, Bernama reported that Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said DVS will review a proposal from the Federation of Pork Sellers Associations to import pork from Thailand, Brazil, and China as a temporary measure to overcome local supply shortages.
"Currently, Malaysia is still able to import pork from countries in Europe, Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
"We encourage importers to source pork from these countries for now," he said in a statement.
He highlighted that the shortage has hurt local pig farmers and led to a sharp increase in fresh pork prices, impacting consumers.
He also said the ministry will work closely with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to review proposals for pork price controls.
For a long-term solution to combat ASF, all industry players are urged to upgrade their farms to a Modern Pig Farming (MPF) system, which is proven to reduce the risk of diseases.
Mohamad welcomed support from the state governments of Penang, Perak, and Sabah for MPF implementation. noting that Sarawak and Negri Sembilan were taking steps to establish special Pig Farming Areas (PFA) dedicated to the pig industry.
Both MPF and PFA use modern techniques to improve biosecurity and minimise the chance of disease outbreaks on farms.
While the transition to MPF requires significant investment, the ministry is ready to assist stakeholders through a streamlined process and plans to hold an engagement session soon.
"We hope that these measures will help stabilise the pork supply, benefit both consumers and farmers, and ultimately enable us to achieve a 90 per cent self-sufficiency rate in local pork production by 2030," he said.