IMPORT OF PORK FROM MALAYSIA

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IMPORT OF PORK FROM MALAYSIA: 2.

Dr Teo Ho Pin asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether his Ministry has any plans to allow import of pork from Malaysia and (b) what are the measures in place to ensure that pork prices are competitive in Singapore.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Agri-Food and Veterinary

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Authority (AVA) has to ensure that all food approved for import into Singapore from a very wide range of sources is safe to eat. Pork can be imported from AVA-approved sources which meet Singapore's current food safety and animal health requirements.

Import of pigs from Malaysia was stopped from March 1999 due to the outbreak of the Nipah disease which affected pigs and humans (farmers and abattoir workers) who are in contact with the infected animals. In addition, Malaysia has also not been recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as foot-and-mouth disease free. AVA is currently discussing with its Malaysian counterpart the requirements for the export of frozen pork to Singapore. And we will have to ensure that the requirements will be in line with international standards and practices.

Singapore has an open market. There are 19 countries approved by AVA to export pork to Singapore. AVA has a programme to increase the number of sources that Singapore can import pork from. The availability of pork from multiple sources will help to ensure that pork prices in Singapore remain competitive.

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Holland-Bukit Panjang): Sir, may I just clarify with the Minister of State. He said that Malaysia is not recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health as foot-and-mouth disease free. Does it mean that it is not safe to consume pork in Malaysia? So, what is the advice to Singaporeans who travel to Malaysia?

Secondly, the prices of lean pork actually have increased quite a lot since 1999. It could be due to the demand of Singaporeans to consume lean pork. By increasing the supply, the demand is more for

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fresh pork, not frozen pork. So maybe the Minister can clarify on that.

The third point is that there is a difference between frozen pork and fresh pork. I think we need to increase the sources of fresh pork, so that at least that will bring the prices down for fresh pork.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I thank the Member for the questions. I will handle them in reverse order.

Our current consumption of pork can be classified into three categories: fresh, chilled and frozen. Today, it is one-third each. I appreciate the Member's preference, and many people's preference, for fresh pork. Currently, we import about 1,000 pigs a day from the island of Bulan. These pigs are imported into Singapore and they are slaughtered in order to produce fresh pork. The key thing which we have to remember when dealing with fresh pork - and you are importing live animals - is that there is a significant safety issue, not just for consumers but for everyone who is involved in the import, the slaughter and the preparation of that meat. The AVA has repeatedly checked and audited the conditions in Bulan. It is a quarantined island. In that sense, we are very confident that it is safe to import those pigs and it does not pose a public health risk to Singapore.

When we talk about importing live pigs from other sources, we have to be equally sure that those sources are safe and will not pose a threat either as a public health threat or an economic threat. Nipah virus is an example of a public health threat. The foot-and-mouth

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disease in pigs is not the same as the human hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Let me emphasise that you do not catch hand-foot-and-mouth disease from contact with pigs with foot-and-mouth disease. Nevertheless, foot-and-mouth disease in pigs is an economic threat. Because once a country is labelled as having been infected with foot-and-mouth disease, it affects its ability to import, export or to tranship meat products. From that perspective, Singapore cannot afford to go on the red list of countries with foot-and-mouth disease. That is why our caution with importing any animal from another country which is labelled as having endemic foot-and-mouth disease.

Nevertheless, we are working with our Malaysian counterparts, in particular in the state of Johore. I am confident that as they raise standards there and we work together, when the international organisation is prepared to certify Johore for a start, as foot-and-mouth disease free and we are confident that there is no public health risk of Nipah, then we can start importing from Johore. I have personally met the representatives from Johore and I have told them that we will do this step by step. Get international certification first, then we will move on as our first step to look into the possibility of importing frozen pork. You will ask why frozen pork, why not chilled,

why not fresh pork. The difference with frozen pork is that there is time for AVA to test the consignment to make sure it is safe. With chilled pork, you cannot hold it and test and then release it to the markets. And with fresh pork, you get all the other problems and potential complications that I told you about. So I want to assure Members of the House that we are actively looking to increase our source of pork. But we will do it safely, we will do it step by step, and we will do it in collaboration with potential exporters.

The Member's point about the price of pork is a valid one, and that is why AVA is actively sourcing for more and more sources of exports, ie, from people who can export pork to us. The current major source of pork for Singapore is Australia and, as you know, the grain prices have

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risen because of the drought. The grain is needed to feed the pigs and also their exchange rate has increased compared to the Singapore dollar. All these things have contributed to the increase in the pork price over the last few months.

I want to also assure Members that we are also getting large amounts of pork from Brazil and China and, in fact, the extent of supply from China is increasing. And as all these supplies come in, we hope eventually to stabilise and, hopefully, bring down the price of pork. But this is a commodity which is internationally traded. We cannot unilaterally force and artificially bring the price down.

On the Member's point about advising the travellers, I think all of us are travellers and all of us need to take our appropriate precautions and, ultimately, take our own risks. The AVA, unfortunately, cannot and should not be in a position to certify the safety of all food all over the world. That is the job which we cannot perform. But in any country that you go to, be aware of what you are eating, what the regulatory system is and make your own informed choices.

Dr Teo Ho Pin: Sir, just now, the Minister of State mentioned that the reason why we import frozen pork is that we need time to test the pork. So how does AVA test the 1,000 pigs coming to Singapore every day?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: That is precisely the point. When you are dealing with 1,000 live pigs, you cannot hold them all out and test every single one of them for every single step. So the key point is you accredit the source, you accredit the transport system that brings them in, you accredit and check and audit the abattoir and then for those of you who have ever been to an abattoir, you will see our AVA officers at very odd times of the day, very early part of the

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morning, actually checking the carcasses. So there is, whether you realise it or not, a very stringent system of checks on our food supply, and this is something we should not take for granted. If we were to alter it and lower our guard, we will do so at our own peril.

Mr Steve Chia Kiah Hong: Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Minister actually give us an estimated timeframe when the international accreditation from the Malaysian farms would be completed and when can we actually start importing the pigs from Malaysia?

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Mr Speaker, Sir, as this involves an international organisation and a foreign country, I am not in a position to make any commitment as to the timeframe.