Thailand: Pork price to drop

The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) is set to lower the prices of live pigs and pork to 75 (€1.77) THB and 140 THB (€3.30) per kilogram respectively but will maintain the ban on pork exports.

In place of the controlled prices, DIT director-general Vatchari Vimooktayon said that the department would recommend prices for live pigs and pork. The farm price of pigs within Bangkok as well as the central, eastern and western regions will be reduced from 81 THB a kilo to 75 THB while the retail price of pork will drop from 152 THB a kilo to 140 THB.

In the north and north-east, live pigs will be sold at 79 THB a kilo and pork at 145 THB. As for the south, live pigs and pork will cost 81 THB and 150 THB a kilo respectively.

After the price decrease, teams of inspectors will be dispatched to markets nationwide. Any vendors found to be overpricing their goods will be subject to a jail term of not more than seven years and/or a fine of not more than 140,000 THB.

On the other hand, the DIT will continue to prohibit exports of pork for the time being although the price will be reduced since the situation has not yet returned to normal.

(By Joyce Rainat)