At City Forum Sunday, they also urged the government to extend more support and introduce a long-term policy on agriculture.

However, Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, who chairs the Legislative Council's food safety and environmental hygiene panel, said the process of introducing more mainland fresh pork suppliers should have been started.

"The chief executive has said very firmly he may ask the mainland authorities to allow more distributors to supply fresh pork to the SAR," Cheung said.

"I believe the mechanism should begin immediately. We hope, at least, there'll be more suppliers for the public to choose from."

At present, Ng Fung Hong - owned by mainland-backed China Resources (Holdings) and which has been operating in Hong Kong for more than four decades - holds the monopoly on live pig imports into the SAR.

However, lawmaker Wong Yung- kan, who represents the agriculture and fisheries sector, said he was concerned about the quality of imported pork if the market is opened up further.