Tens of Thousands of Pigs Butchered for Galungan
INDONESIA - Balinese Hindus butchered more than 22,000 pigs yesterday, one day ahead of the Galungan religious festival, according to the Bali Animal Husbandry Agency.Galungan, which celebrates the victory of Dharma (virtue) over Adharma (vice), falls on 17-19 March this year.
The slaughter is a part of a ritual ceremony, after which the meat is cooked and used in various local dishes, according to The Jakarta Post.
Head of the agency Ida Bagus Alit said with a total of 871,740 pigs on the island, the huge demand for pigs ahead of the ceremony could be fulfilled without having to import them.
"We cannot import pigs into Bali as we fear they may bring diseases and infect our local pigs," he said.
A live pig weighing 100 kilograms costs Rp 1.8 million (US$150), while the butchered meat costs Rp 32,000 per kilogram.