National pig farming blueprint underway to guide industry, says deputy agriculture minister

SEBERANG PERAI, Feb 14 — The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is developing a pig farming industry blueprint to provide comprehensive guidelines for the sector, deputy minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said today.

Chan said the blueprint will include the use of waste-to-energy biogas facilities similar to the Kampung Valdor Centralised Biogas Facility in South Seberang Perai, Penang.

“I thank Penang for taking the lead to show us the way on how to manage livestock waste in a responsible manner because, as Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow mentioned, this is basically an environmental issue,” he said at a press conference after attending the launch of the Kampung Valdor Centralised Biogas Facility here.

He said if the issue is not properly managed, it could escalate into broader social problems and, in the worst-case scenario, trigger racial and religious tensions.

“So it is very important for other pig farmers and industry players to learn from the Penang experience on how to manage it,” he said.

Chan said the country’s pork self-sufficiency level (SSL) currently stands at about 65 per cent.

He said the total ban on pig farms in Selangor may affect the SSL, but the impact would not be severe as Malaysia can supplement supply with imported pork for the time being.

In the long term, he said the ministry will ensure that the non-Muslim community in Malaysia continues to have access to pork as a major protein source.

“I believe that eventually, we still need to manage it well,” he said.