Kuala lumpur: The government aims to achieve a pork self-sufficiency rate (SSR) of 90 per cent by 2030, up from 67.8 per cent in 2024, as part of efforts to strengthen the country's food security. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin revealed that the current rate indicates that domestic demand still relies partly on imported pork.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, local production is being strengthened through several measures, including the export of live pigs from Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia and improved prevention of animal and zoonotic diseases to boost farm productivity. 'To address the impact of fluctuations in global livestock feed prices on production costs and market prices, we continuously monitor live pig selling prices at the farm level as well as feed costs,' Chan stated during the question-and-answer session at Dewan Negara today.

Chan mentioned that in 2025, the average farm-gate price of live pigs was around RM17.80 per kilogramme. The government will also encourage large-scale, commercial cultivation of grain corn domestically to reduce 30 per cent dependence on imported corn by 2040. Additionally, the government is promoting the transformation of the pig farming industry towards modern practices, such as the Closed House System, which improves disease control and reduces environmental pollution.

He explained that farmers converting open farms to closed systems are eligible for tax incentives, including Accelerated Capital Allowance and income tax exemptions from 2023 to 2027. Modern technologies, such as biogas plants that process livestock waste, can also mitigate odour and environmental impact, as recently implemented in Kampung Selamat, in Penang.

Chan emphasized that the ministry is open to studying international modern farming models to enhance the local pig industry. In Sarawak, a Pig Farming Area (PFA) has been established, and the government plans to expand to three additional areas to further strengthen industry development.