Swine farmers nationwide have agreed to maintain the price of farm pork at 100 baht/kg in a bid to help people weather economic hardships.
Suntraporn Singriwong, chairman of the Northern Pig Producers Association, said the agreement was reached even as farmers are still reeling from last year’s African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks. The spread of ASF at the end of 2021 drove many farmers to exit the trade, which severely impacted the supply chain. The market has since lost over 50% of its pork suppliers as the number of farmers fell to 80,000, down from 200,000 originally.
Rising costs have been a major concern for pig farmers, with animal feed, in particular, becoming more expensive as a direct result of the war in Ukraine. The price of maize is almost 13 baht/kg.
In response, the Cabinet this week approved a proposal by the Ministry of Commerce to import up to 600,000 tons of maize without levying tariffs from May to July. It said the aim was to ease shortages of animal feed ingredients amid disruptions caused by a conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The move coincides with other measures to revitalize the economy and tourism industry following government moves to reopen the Kingdom starting this month.
The chairman reiterated that price hikes will only be approved in accordance with market mechanisms and actual production costs.
