Thailand: PM urges action as pork prices increase sharply

• Both consumers and vendors are bearing the brunt of rising pork prices arising from multiple factors including the fact that over half of the nation’s farmers have already given up their pig farms due to overly high production costs.
• As a result, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 4 Jan 21 instructed the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to speed up efforts to ease the problem from farm to table without interfering in market dynamics.
• Having risen for almost two straight weeks, pork prices on 4 Jan 21 stood at between THB210 and THB230 per kg, up from about THB150 per kg before they started escalating.
• Mr Thanakorn said the higher prices of animal feed and drugs, which were needed in previous outbreaks of swine diseases, were the main reason most pig farmers decided to call it quits.
• The shortage intensified just as demand began picking up when the new school term began and more restaurants and food stalls resumed operations after a long suspension due to the pandemic, he said.
• Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the pig and pork products development policy committee, known as the Pig Board, approved a raft of measures to boost the industry’s confidence including vaccine development and access to soft loans.

External Link : https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2242035/pm-urges-action-as-pig-prices-fly-high