Pig farmers agree to limit pork prices
Thai pig farmers have agreed to lower pork prices by eliminating middlemen, after the Commerce Ministry threatened to limit exports of the meat over short supply and rising prices.
Wiwat Pongwiwatchai, vice president of the Swine Raisers Association of Thailand, said pork would be sold at Bt130 per kilo under the association’s “pork fights Covid” campaign.
Chonburi consumers were offered pork at the reduced price from July 21, and the campaign will spread to the rest of the country by August 7.
The association is also cooperating with the Commerce Ministry to cap the farm price of pork at Bt80 a kilo so the retail price will not rise above Bt160 a kilo.
“Live pigs are priced Bt78-79 a kilogram … but swine raisers are trying to control the price in line with their promise to the Department of Internal Trade, despite facing losses for more than three years,” Wiwat said.
He added that strict controls against African swine fever had resulted in higher costs for Thai farmers. High pork prices in Thailand are being driven by an outbreak of swine fever in China and neighbouring countries that has pushed up export demand.