SINGAPORE, Jan 25 — Singapore is planning to resume live pig imports from Pulau Bulan in Indonesia after paused them in April 2023 due to African swine fever detected in a shipment.

The move forms part of ongoing efforts by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to diversify safe food sources for the nation, The Straits Times reported.

“SFA and the Animal and Veterinary Service, a cluster of the National Parks Board, are working with Indonesia’s Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services on the resumption of pig imports from Pulau Bulan in Indonesia,” SFA was quoted as saying.

“The agencies will conduct an official assessment for the resumption of pig imports when the exporting farm is ready,” it added.

Currently, Singapore’s main live pig supply comes from Sarawak, Malaysia, while chilled pork is imported from countries including Australia and Canada, and frozen pork from Brazil, the US, Spain and China.

FairPrice Group, through its subsidiary OJJ Foods, is the sole importer of live pigs to Singapore, bringing in about 3,000 pigs per week – nearly half of the company’s pork sales – and plans to raise imports by 20 per cent in February ahead of Chinese New Year.

“We know just how important quality and variety are to local families. By bringing in live pigs from Malaysia, we want to provide our customers with the best when it comes to freshness and flavour,” OJJ Foods chief executive Danny Ong told the Singapore-based newspaper.

Twice weekly, live pigs from Malaysia are shipped under strict veterinary controls to a licensed abattoir in Jurong, then butchered, packaged and delivered to FairPrice supermarkets, wet markets and food service providers the same day.

“Fresh pork from Malaysia is the most popular variety of pork with our customers,” FairPrice Group chief David Goh was quoted saying, highlighting the preference for locally sourced meat with the right balance of lean and fat, grain-fed over 180 days without antibiotics.

“This diversified approach helps manage supply risks and cost volatility while ensuring consistent availability and strict compliance with food safety and regulatory standards,” said a spokesperson for Sheng Siong, reflecting broader supermarket sourcing strategies.