The Southern Swine Farmer Association has urged authorities to allow for the adjustment of pork prices in line with market mechanisms.
Preecha Kijthaworn, president of the association, reiterated that last year’s outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) forced more than half of swine farmers to exit the market, leaving only about 100,000 raisers to produce pork to the entire nation.
He added that the ongoing fluctuating weather conditions and the rising costs of animal feed further exacerbating the shortage issue.
Prices for maize, corn meal, palm oil and other animal food products, as well as fuel, have spiked by 30-40% since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Preecha nevertheless stressed that swine farmers have so far abided by the government’s plea to maintain product prices, in order to help people weather the economic downturn.
Swine farmer associations nationwide have meanwhile been organizing workshops to improve operations and increase output to meet national demand.
Preecha proposed that the government temporarily increase its import quota from 54,700 metric tons to 600,000 tons from May to July.
