KUCHING: The state government is considering stronger biosecurity and high tech farming to prevent or avoid the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF).
Minister of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Datuk Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom told reporters this after officiating the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak Integrity Day and Anti-Corruption Pledge at UCSI Hotel yesterday (Feb 24).
He said Sarawak had a location that was not affected by the ASF outbreak and this enabled the state to export pigs to Singapore.
Saying that ASF was a global problem, Dr Rundi hoped the pig farming industry would return to normal and that the increase in pork prices would not last long.
He pointed out that a lot of farmers were going back to pig farming.
“We know that Penang is facing a much bigger problem.
“Last time, we had over 50,000 (pigs) affected while 60,000 pigs in Penang were affected. All the pig farms there were affected except Pasir Puteh,” he said.
Dr Rundi also stressed the importance of having a sense of urgency in relation to the Sarawak Integrity Day in order to achieve a food net by 2030.
Present at the event were Deputy Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development , Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail (Food Industry), and Deputy Minister for Food Industry, Food Commodity and Regional Development (Commodity and Regional Development), Martin Ben and other dignitaries.
