The Department of Livestock Development (DLD) has stated that the production of live pigs is estimated to decrease by 11.8 percent this year.
DLD Director-General Sorawit Thaneeto said the agency has completed the first of two rounds for a nationwide study on live pigs, which found that 10.8 million are currently being raised. These include 49,000 male breeder pigs, representing a 41.1 percent decrease from last year, and 979,000 female breeders, which represents an 11% decrease from the same period.
According to the director-general, the shortfall is due to small farms reducing their livestock amid market uncertainty and concerns about oversupply caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reduced livestock overpopulation as a prevention measure against animal disease outbreaks was also a factor.
The director-general noted that medium and large-sized farms have rarely reported any loss in productivity, with the country’s decreasing pig supply attributed primarily to small farms. This could imply that markets and retailers which are supplied pigs from smaller farms are likely to be more affected, while larger markets or supermarkets continue to receive a steady supply of pork from medium or large farms that retain their output. (NNT)
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