Farmers demand Thai pig ban amid disease fears

More than 100 pig farmers yesterday demanded a ban on pork imports from Thailand be enforced amid fears over an outbreak of foot-and-mouth-disease there last year.

The farmers protested at the Agriculture and Fisheries Department in Canton Road, Kowloon. Protesters came from the Hong Kong Livestock Association and Federation of Pig Raising Co-operative Societies, Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories.

Thai pork, banned from export by the World Health Organisation after the Thai outbreak was reported in September last year, had been found in Hong Kong since August, the federation's chairman Simon Cheng Ka-shing said.

He believed the frozen meat, about 33 per cent cheaper than local supplies, was brought in by private businessmen. 'Foot-and-mouth-disease won't pass on to humans by consumption but people can become carriers and pass the bacteria to pigs,' Mr Cheng said.

'If local pigs are infected, our business will be destroyed. We hope the Government can help protect our business and ban pork from Thailand,' he said.

Pig farmers are threatening to take the matter to the Ombudsman following approval of the imports by the Health Department. So far, 21,654 tonnes of Thai pork have been imported, the department has confirmed. It said all pork imports had been certified by health agencies in the country of origin.