Thailand: PED outbreak raises pork prices

Pork prices in Thailand are expected to rise further over the next two months, according to Surachai Sutthitham, president of the Thailand Swine Raisers Association.

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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