Ng’s farm breaks Singapore’s ban on Malaysian Pork

KUCHING: Singapore has lifted a 16-year-ban on import of pork from Malaysia and is importing 100 tonnes of the meat from the state.

The pork exported to the island republic is from the piggery of Dr Ng Siew Thian, located at the state-of-the-art Pig Farming Area (PFA) at Pasir Puteh near Simunjan.

Presently, only pork from Ng’s farm has been approved by Singapore’s food authorities.

His pork products sold are now available at selected NTUC FairPrice Supermarkets.

Ng, who exports his produce under the trademark ‘Borneo Pork’, told The Borneo Post yesterday that pig farming had a huge potential to grow if breeders could meet the quality demand of importing countries.

He called on pig farmers in the state to relocate their farms to PFA so that they could utilise the modern facilities there to produce high quality meat.

Ng, who is a veterinarian, said pork export to Singapore had been on the increase — he could export as much as 200 tonnes per month.

“For those who are interested to export to Singapore, come to PFA. We can do it together. Singapore is asking for more to be exported.”

He said although prices of pork in export and local markets were more or less the same, the international export market had an almost unlimited capacity.

“Sarawak is suitable for farming activities. Export can raise the standard of local production as there is expectation in export quality. At the end, the local consumers will also benefit,” said Ng, who is also secretary of Sarawak Livestock Breeders’ Association (SLBA).

The RM200-million Pasir Puteh PFA was built in accordance with European Union (EU)’s standard and another RM200 million will be needed to complete the whole project.

When completed, PFA would be the largest of its kind in the country and the most advanced in the region. Waste product such as biomass from the farm would be recycled to generate energy to run the farm, making it self-sustaining.

It has a capacity to accommodate 250,000 pigs and the slaughterhouse built based on German technology would be able to process up to 1,500 pigs per day.

When fully operational, the farm will be able to process 500,000 pigs a year with a total turnover of RM500 million.

Built under the National Agriculture Policy 1984 which requires pig production to be carried out in designated areas, Pasir Puteh PFA caters for the more than 70 pig farmers here and in Kota Samarahan.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/17/ngs-farm-breaks-singapores-ban-on-malaysian-pork/#ixzz3onxQLY6s

Frozen pork from Sarawak is now available at NTUC FairPrice Supermarket

SINGAPORE - Frozen pork from Sarawak is now available at NTUC FairPrice supermarket stores here, following the Government's approval of the Malaysian state on the island of Borneo.

Mr Tng Ah Yiam, Deputy CEO (Merchandising) at FairPrice said: "We have worked closely with our suppliers and AVA to bring in frozen pork from Sarawak that meets stringent food safety requirements. As the largest supermarket retailer in Singapore, the expansion of our range of pork products allows us to diversify our offerings and maintain stability in prices and supplies for our customers."

The frozen pork, which is pre-thawed for shoppers' convenience, is sold exclusively by FairPrice under the "Borneo Pork" brand and hit the shelves about a week ago.

The pork is available in eight types of cuts, including lean, minced, fillet and ribs. It is sold at selected major FairPrice stores, as well as FairPrice Finest and FairPrice Xtra.

Ms Tan Poh Hong, CEO of Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), welcomes the news that FairPrice is carrying Sarawak pork in its stores.

"With the successful accreditation of Sarawak, Singapore's frozen pork supply is further diversified. Sarawak's proximity to Singapore may make it a significant source of frozen pork. AVA will continue to diversify our food sources so that Singapore is better buffered against potential supply disruptions," Ms Tan said.

FairPrice's current pork supply includes frozen pork from Brazil, the United States, Holland and Spain, as well as chilled pork from Australia and Indonesia.