KOTA KINABALU, Aug 26 — Pork prices in Sabah have risen to RM17.50 or RM18 per kg, prompting calls for wider import sources and stronger efforts to reduce food costs in the State.
Agriculture and Food Security Deputy Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the increase was partly linked to Sabah’s limited sources of imported pork, with the State currently allowing imports from only Denmark and France.
He said the Federal Government approved frozen pork imports from 11 countries, including Australia, the United States, Brazil, Thailand, Canada, Belgium, Ireland and Spain.
However, Sabah and Sarawak have the authority to decide whether such imports are allowed into their respective states.
“Sabah only allows two countries – Denmark and France,” he said, adding that all imported pork sources must first undergo audits and meet food safety requirements.
He said the situation was different in the peninsula, where the introduction of chilled pork from Thailand had helped create greater competition and contributed to a decline in prices over the past six months.
According to him, the Government’s decision to allow chilled pork from Thailand was intended to provide consumers with a more competitive alternative while encouraging local producers to remain competitive.
Chan, who is also Kota Kinabalu MP, said Sabah’s geographical distance from Europe could also contribute to higher prices, as imported pork may have to pass through Singapore before reaching the State.
He linked Sabah’s limited supply sources to the smuggling of frozen meat and other food products across the State’s borders.
He said recent operations by the Sabah border authorities had uncovered cases involving frozen chicken and pork brought into the State through channels outside the authorised veterinary route.
He stressed that food safety standards remained important but said diversification of import sources could help address pricing and supply concerns.
Chan said Sabah also faced longer-term challenges involving pig farming, including environmental compliance, pollution controls and the need to modernise farming operations.
He said the State needed more modern and responsible pig farming facilities, while operators at a facility in Tongod had yet to begin operations despite infrastructure being completed in 2018.
For the short term, he urged the State Government to look into ways to bring down the cost of living, particularly food prices, which he said were higher in Sabah than in other parts of Malaysia.
He said he had been in contact with the State authorities to discuss the possibility of diversifying pork import sources.
He also planned to hold another pork sale in conjunction with the coming Mooncake Festival to help ease the burden on the non-Muslim community. — Daily Express
More pork import sources needed to bring down Sabah prices, says deputy minister
