Thailand halts pig exports for 3 months to tackle soaring pork prices
Three measures proposed by the Agriculture and Cooperatives as well as Commerce ministries will be immediately implemented to control the soaring price of pork, deputy government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said on Thursday.
“The first and most urgent measure will be to halt the export of live pigs for three months until April 5 to boost local supply and bring down the price of pork,” she said. “Last year’s statistics show that Thailand produced 19 million pigs and exported a million, with the rest being consumed domestically.
“The government will also waive tariff on imported animal feed as well as provide a special loan via the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives [BAAC] to attract new swine farmers,” she added.
“As a short-term measure, the government will promote the production of corn to reduce reliance on imported animal feed,” she said. “The Department of Livestock Promotion will also increase the production of breeding pigs via research and development as well as work with private partners to manufacture drugs and methods of boosting the immunity of pigs to reduce loss from disease.”
Meanwhile, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry will employ long-term measures to improve Thailand’s pig production capacity under good-farming management (GFM) practices to attract new investors in swine farming and ensure an adequate supply of pork in the future.
“To achieve this goal, BAAC will create new loan programmes for farmers, especially those in the swine farming supply chain,” Ratchada said. “The Department of Livestock Promotion has also been told to register existing swine farmers to ensure they have access to the loans when they become available.
“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says he is confident that the three measures will help bring down the price of pork, provide sustainable careers for farmers and animal feed growers, as well as boost Thailand’s food security,” added Ratchada.