PENAMPANG: The Pig Farming Area (PFA) in Tongod will continue despite a backlash from people in the area, said State Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
He said the facility will not affect the villages directly as it sits on a large 500-acre land belonging to the Sabah Department of Veterinary Services (DVS).
The Deputy Chief Minister said the facility is necessary to increase the production of pigs and balance out the supply and demand of pork in the market.
He said the soaring prices of pork is attributed to two factors, the first being a shortage of pork due to the African Swine Fever (ASF) and secondly, due to high swine feed costs.
“Due to ASF previously, we had to kill a lot of pigs. So there is a limited supply and we had to import, which caused the price to go up. The other problem is the cost of feeding the pigs.
“We are temporarily opening imports now so that the supply can increase and the price should be moderate.
“In the meantime, we are promoting the production of pigs since the ASF is now under control, but production takes time.
“This is why we are planning to centralise the production of pigs. We have a 500-acre area in Telupid for centralisation of modern facilities for production,” he told reporters after chairing the State-level Kaamatan Festival Main Organising Committee meeting at Sokid Villa, here, Friday.
It was reported that the State Government would gradually relocate and centralise all 44 pig farms across Sabah at the PFA in Tongod.
Jeffrey had announced last year that the PFA will become the most advanced pig farm in Malaysia, with advanced waste treatment technology and a clean environment that would solve pollution problems in pig farms.
It is expected to be completed this year.
