“So
long as
there is
sunlight,
the
sunflowers
will bloom.
So long
there is
HOPE for
us to be
self-reliant,
we will
get
back on
our
feet, and
stand
upright
like the
sunflowers"
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The
Economic Rationale of Protecting the Pig Farming Industry
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Very high value-add per acre yield of
pig farming industry. An average farm size of 500 animals per acre,
with 2.5 million heads, total land devoted to pig farming is about 5000
acres. With an additional 30% buffer area, the total acreage is only
about 6500 acres. If the selling price of live pig is RM350, then
3.5 million pigs a year generate some RM1.225 billion in value. This
works out to be RM200,000 per acre (compared to RM4000 per acre for Palm
Oil in good times –50 times, and normal times of RM2000 per acre, 100 times!).
-
The pig farming industry employs around
8,500 workers directly and another 9,400 indirectly in the ancillary and
supporting activities. The replacement effect of these people will
increase the unemployment rate. After much hard work in trying to
put the national economy back on track, the nation can hardly afford another
heavy blow.
-
Though the pig farming industry still
needs to be improved to catch up international standards, this industry
is showing signs of maturing, and the efficiency of the industry is improving.
There were 18,000 farms in 1965, the total was reduced to 4,097 in 1985
3,592 in 1995. On the contrary the population of animals increased
from 1.4 million in 1980 to 2.3 million in 1990.
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The price of live pig has also been
stable. Over the 1980-1990 period, in spite of the 29% increase in
the consumer price index, the price of 100 kg of live pig was RM277 in
1980 and RM257 in 1990. These numbers all go to show the maturing
trend in the industry.
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Loss of foreign earnings from export:
1998 export of live pigs to Singapore earnings RM436.5 million.
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Importation of 153,644 ton of pork costing
RM1,051 million (assuming CIF cost of USD1,800 per ton)
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Self-sufficiency in pork, equivalent
to 11% of meat sources protein.
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Malaysians are denied a key source of
meat protein. Also 80% of Malaysian tourist come from pork-eating communities.
The absence of fresh pork will greatly inhibit the preparation of unique
Malaysian cuisine, hence reduce the culinary attractiveness of Malaysian
food. Food is an important attraction, especially for East Asian tourists.
 Save
Lives.
Please circulate to fellow Malaysians.
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Cartoonist
Reggie Lee
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The Malaysian Economy: A Perspective on Competitiveness
