Thailand: pig exports chopped as prices keep soaring

A set of regulations, including a ban on the export of live pigs, has been enforced to tackle the surging price of pork.

On Thursday, two measures, issued by the Central Committee on the Prices of Goods and Services, chaired by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, were published in the Royal Gazette.

The first bans the export of the animals for three months, effective yesterday.

The second announcement involves a requirement that certain groups must update the Department of Internal Trade weekly on the number of pigs they own, the size of their stock, the sale of their pigs, the selling prices, the places where the pigs are raised and the places where pork is kept.

The groups are as follows: farmers who own more than 500 pigs, pork wholesalers and exporters who keep over 500 pigs in stock, and operators of food-freezing businesses with over 5,000 kilogrammes of pork in stock.

The enforcement of the second announcement will last for one year.

Updates must be given each Monday, starting this week. Farmers and operators based in Bangkok and Nonthaburi must give their information to the Office of the central committee at the Department of Internal Trade.

Those in other provinces must provide updates to commercial offices in their respective provinces.

Updates can be sent by post, e-mail, fax, and other electronic platforms by special agreement.

Pig farmers, wholesalers and exporters must have inventories of the number of pigs raised, the sale and prices ready for inspection by authorities.

Deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Traisoranakul said that the government is stepping up efforts to combat the skyrocketing prices of pork at the behest of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Operators have been requested to comply with the rules in order to solve the problem affecting consumers at the moment, she said.

“The prime minister has attached importance to the problems affecting people’s daily lives and instructed agencies involved to bring the situation back to normal as quickly as possible and prevent any repeat of the problem in the future,” Ms Traisulee said.

The Swine Raisers Association of Thailand (SRAT) previously said that pork imports are being mulled as another option to curb the problem of the rapidly escalating prices.

Niphat Nuanim, vice president of the SRAT, suggested this as a temporary measure to ease the impact on consumers.

Bangkok Post

Tags: export, pork, price, Thailand, Pigs, live pigs