Govt Asked to Control Ex-Farm Price as Well

MALAYSIA - Pork retailers want the government to control the ex-farm price as well after having made the meat a controlled item for the coming Chinese New Year festival, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Thursday.

22 January 2010

2 minute read

Asia

He spoke to reporters after the Malaysian Pork Sellers Association chairman Goh Chui Lai and over 20 representatives of pork retailers associations in various states met him at Wisma MCA for two hours.

Dr Chua said the retailers felt that it would be better if the government could control the price of the item not just at the retail stage but also ex-farm as had been done for chicken.

"They just want to tell the consumers that the increase in price is because the ex-farm price keeps on going up, and it is not because they are making excessive profits," Dr Chua told newsmen after the meeting.

Dr Chua said the MCA would arrange a meeting between the retailers and pig farmers next week because the two sides have not met for three years, making it difficult to negotiate the price.

Last Saturday, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that pork would be a controlled item from 10 to 21 February for the Chinese New Year period.