Malaysian pork talks end bitterly

11-06-2009 | |

A meeting between Malaysia’s pig farmers and pork sellers aimed at resolving tensions originating from pork prices has ended unsuccessfully.

The dialogue held at the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry in Putrajaya on Tuesday, ended after 20 minutes with the Federation of Livestock Farmers Association pig unit chief Beh Kim Hee and 10 other representatives of the federation walking out.

Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Lian Hoe, who called the dialogue, the first in five years between the two feuding parties, continue with the meeting with representatives of pork sellers before holding a separate meeting with the federation’s delegation later.

The pig farmers and pork sellers are in disagreement over the ex-farm price of pigs which have been raised four times in less than two months to a five-year high of RM700/100kg and pork sellers threatened to pass on the additional cost to consumers.

Beh said from now on, pig farmers would leave the ex-farm prices of pig to market forces and would stop the practice of making weekly announcements on the prices, a decision the National Pork Sellers Association deemed “irresponsible”.

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