WIDENING SUPPLY: Chile and Philippines are now among the 12 countries that supply pork to Singapore. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

Sarawak's veterinary authorities told The Straits Times that it will take until 2011 to resettle its farmers in a newly built centralised pig farm.

The 4.36 million sq ft facility - four times the size of VivoCity - would have the capacity to export chilled pork to countries like Singapore, said Dr Steven Gabriel, a senior veterinary officer in the East Malaysian state's agriculture department.

'We have to first ensure that all our pig farmers settle in comfortably in their new environs before ramping up production,' said Dr Gabriel.

Confirmation that Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is considering lifting the decade-old ban on Malaysian pork comes just as it revealed that Chile can now export frozen pork here.

Just two days ago, a slaughterhouse in southern Philippines also got the go-ahead, bringing the number of countries that now supply pork to Singapore to 12.

STOP WORRYING, NO FOOD SHORTAGE 'I think there's really no need to worry about the produce we get here. We have looked at the amount of food imported over the last few months and the quantity and supply are normal. We've not seen any trend of shortages. Although we expect some food prices to move because energy and commodities have gone up, there's no expectation of a sharp spike in food prices. ... more

The moves are part of Singapore's plans to cast the food net wider, and keep rising food prices in check.

Australian chilled minced pork, for instance, now costs $9.50 a kg at NTUC FairPrice supermarkets, up from $8.60 a year ago.

AVA banned Malaysian pork in 1999 and started diversifying its pork and live-pig sources after the Nipah virus struck Malaysian pig farms.

The virus, which is carried by pigs, killed 100 Malaysian pig farmers and an abattoir worker here.

If Sarawak's new centralised farm passes AVA's checks on facilities, meat processing and disinfection practices, about half of the 2,400 pigs it can slaughter daily could be exported, estimates Dr Gabriel.

The 1,000 pigs Sarawak's farmers now slaughter each day are consumed locally. So far, 70 pig farmers have agreed to be housed in the $30 million farm, located at Pasir Puteh, about 108km from the state capital Kuching.

AVA spokesman Goh Shih Yong said that while Sarawak has not yet made any official application to AVA, Sarawak's pork suppliers and veterinary officials visited an abattoir here last year, and were also briefed on food safety standards and import health requirements.

In response to a query on whether Singapore would eventually accept Malaysian pork, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education Grace Fu said yesterday that the Government was open to the idea.

She said: 'I think we look at each of these countries scientifically and from a risk-management perspective. So when we do receive the request, we'd be glad to look at it again.'

But while Sarawak might be close by, the rising cost of feeding pigs and transporting them here might not make pork that much cheaper.

Meat Traders Association president Jack Koh said: 'With grain taking up to 75 per cent of our costs, how much lower can we push pork prices?'

jermync@sph.com.sg

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY TESSA WONG