MIRI – The Sibu Municipal Council has tightened rules pertaining to the public sale of pork, as African swine fever is spreading in Sibu division in central Sarawak now.
Council chairman Clarence Ting today said the council admitted that pork from unlicensed pig farms have been sold openly to the public, but added the practice is banned from now onwards.
He was commenting on social media on the pig-related disease that has hit the central Sarawak region.
“The council’s committees held a meeting at my request to discuss the recommendation by the Veterinary Department that the Sibu Municipal Council’s abattoir should not receive any more pigs from unlicensed farms.
“After deliberating, we decided to temporarily stop receiving all pigs from unlicensed farms starting Wednesday (today).
“Currently, in SMC Abattoir, 20 out of 100 pigs slaughtered daily are from unlicensed farms,” he said.
Ting said that, in the meantime, Veterinary Department officers will arrange a meeting with farmers from licensed and unlicensed farms.
“In light of the coming festive Chinese New Year season, our council proposed to ask the department to check the health of all the pigs at unlicensed farms.
“We ask the cooperation of everyone involved as only through proper control can we stop this disease from overwhelming our pig farming industry,” he said.
Ting said his council will redouble efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
The council is committed to ensuring the pigs slaughtered at the abattoir are free from disease, he added.
Apart from Sibu, the swine fever has also spread to neighbouring Sarikei division.
The pork trading business is a multimillion-ringgit industry in Sarawak. – The Vibes, January 19, 2022
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