Singapore imports pork from over 20 sources, no need to hoard: Baey Yam Keng
This comes after import of live pigs from Pulau Bulan in Indonesia were halted due to African swine fever outbreak
SINGAPORE —There is no need for Singapore residents to hoard pork, as the city-state has enough supply, says Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment.
His comments came after Singapore stopped the import of live pigs from Pulau Bulan in Indonesia due to an outbreak of African swine fever.
In a Facebook post on Monday (24 April), Baey assured Singaporeans that there are over 20 sources of pork imports, ensuring an adequate supply for the country. He also stated that the suspension of live pig imports "is not a food safety concern", as the pork sold in Singapore is safe for consumption.
Singapore halts import of live pigs from Pulau Bulan
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced last Thursday that the import of live pigs from Pulau Bulan has been halted. The island provides about 15 per cent of Singapore's total pork supply, and about two-thirds of the country's supply of freshly-slaughtered pork.
African swine fever was detected in a consignment of live pigs from the Indonesian island, and also in pig carcasses at an abattoir where the animals are slaughtered for food. SFA added that this was the first time the disease had been detected among pigs imported into Singapore.
The disease is highly contagious among wild boars and pigs but does not infect humans. However, according to SFA, there will be temporary disruptions to the supply of freshly-slaughtered pork from Sunday.
Baey said he has been in contact with the pork sellers at Tampines N4 Neighbourhood Centre market. He stated, "They are aware of this temporary disruption and are uncertain of what would happen when their suppliers run out of stocks in the coming days."
He also mentioned that a chicken seller who went through the recent export ban of fresh chicken by Malaysia reassured his fellow stallholders that they would be able to overcome this disruption.
To address this issue, Baey suggested that consumers opt for other protein sources such as chicken or fish, or chilled or frozen pork.
He said, "As consumers, we can build our own resilience by being flexible with our food choices."
This aligns with Singapore's goal of producing 30 per cent of its nutritional needs locally by 2030, despite possible disruptions in the food supply chain from time to time.
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