Thailand: PED outbreak raises pork prices

Following the Porcine epidemic diarrhoea outbreak (PED) in November that resulted in the death of 500,000 to 600,000 thousand piglets, a short supply of live pigs is forecasted.

The Association, he says, can confirm that the supply will not reach a critical state, but consumers may have to consume pigs of a smaller size.

Currently, swine raisers supply about 40,000 live pigs daily to meet domestic consumption demands, while frozen and cooked exports to Japan and Hong Kong, amount to 1% of total supply.

A sharp increase in the ex-farm price of pork from 44-45 baht (US$ 1.39 -1.42) per kilo to 59-61 baht (US$1.87-1.93), resulting in the retail price rising to 115-120 baht (US$3.65- 3.81) per kilo, up from 93-100 baht (US$2.95-3.17) has been approved by the Internal Trade Department has approved

"While the ex-farm prices of live pigs have risen to 55 baht (US$1.74) per kilo from 50 baht (US$1.58), this has helped local raisers who could no longer shoulder the rising production costs of animal feed, which have jumped by more than 50%," says Surachai, confirming that the government has also been urged to help provide high-quality feed to counter the effects of PED.

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