Cheap pork gets the chop as price goes up by RM2 per kg

Cheap pork gets the chop as price goes up by RM2 per kg

May 5, 2022 4:57 PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Butchers in the Klang Valley said the price of pork will go up by RM2 per kg due to a hike in costs.

KL Selangor Butchers’ Association chairman Lee Peng Hock said the price of 100kg of pork was currently at RM1,140. However, he did not disclose the retail price as it varies from one butcher to another.

Previously, Lee said, the price of 100kg of pork was RM700 during the Chinese New Year period (Jan 31 to Feb 6), but went up to RM1,060 on Feb 28.

He added that if the price hike continued, no one would be able to afford pork anymore.

“Pork (meat) is a necessity. Some of them (hawkers) have to use pork to cook certain food,” Lee said in a joint press conference with Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng.

Lee said currently the majority of pork supplies in the Klang Valley came from Perak and Penang.

“However, the demand exceeds supply.

“Farms in Negeri Sembilan used to supply meat here, but some of them were shut down due to licensing problems.

“Now, we rely on the Perak and Penang farms for supplies,” he added.

Lee urged the government, specifically the agriculture and food industries ministry and the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry, to step in and provide a solution to stabilise the price.

“We foresee the price going up again next month during the Dragon Boat Festival. The price tends to increase when there is a festive celebration.

“The price of pork has gone up by more than 60% since January,” he said.

A bak kut teh seller from Kepong, Pong Chee Yoong, who was at the press conference, said as a trader, he had no choice but to increase the price of food.

“Many of my customers have complained about it. We explain to them this is due to an increase in costs (at the farms).

“Since January, I have adjusted the price of my food twice. This year is ‘special’,” he said, adding that he now sells a single portion of bak kut teh at RM17.

Source of the news: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/05/05/cheap-pork-gets-the-chop-as-price-goes-up-by-rm2-per-kg/