Pig farmers protest against import of US pork

By Thai PBS

 

 

BANGKOK: -- About 100 pig farmers rallied at the Ministry of Commerce on Monday (Sept 11) to protest the ministry’s decision to allow the import of pork from the United States.

 

They said American pig farmers widely use ractopamine – a feed addictive to promote leanness in animals raised for their meats which is banned in about 160 countries worldwide.

 

The pig farmers’ protest note was received by Suchart Sinrat, deputy director-general of Internal Trade Department.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pig-farmers-protest-import-us-pork/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2017-09-12

Meanwhile the farmers are happy for their pork to be exported abroad.  As long as it's a one way street they seem happy.

That's rich, the pot calling the kettle black.. Thai farmers never shied away

from using any chemicals in the book to enhance their crops and products

even the worst ones that almost bordering on poisons....

22 minutes ago, ezzra said:

That's rich, the pot calling the kettle black.. Thai farmers never shied away

from using any chemicals in the book to enhance their crops and products

even the worst ones that almost bordering on poisons....

Although I agree with what you say... do you happen to have a list of the additives used in swine production in Thailand?

Is it really possible to raise pigs in the USA and ship them here with a lower price than local produce?

Since CPF (7-11 Mackro) is the largest commercial pig farmer and seller of pork, it's no surprise they don't want competition especially at a lower price. Another Thai industry that needs big import taxes to protect their market and their inability to compete in a global market.  

Living in a farming community and having several livestock farmers as friends I it's laughable that these people are playing the additives card trying to restrict imports. I'd say more but don't want to invite any defamation suits.

Memo to pig farmers from Minister of Tourism.

 

STOP protesting.  Thailand needs more American Pork!

An article on Thaivisa a week or 2 ago mentioned the Americans were keen to export the bits of pigs that their home market doesn't want, e.g. heads. Seems logical, that's why they'll be cheap.

26 minutes ago, eliotness said:

An article on Thaivisa a week or 2 ago mentioned the Americans were keen to export the bits of pigs that their home market doesn't want, e.g. heads. Seems logical, that's why they'll be cheap.

Yes Thai people love eating pig head, pig brain, pig liver, pig kidney, pig dick....

aside from that, there must be some reason the substance is banned from use in all EU.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Pig farmers protest against import of US pork

This may be a misleading protest at best.

The largest US exporter of processed pork is Smithfield Foods, purchased by Hong Kong-based WH Group in 2013. Since 2013 it has been working to remove ractopamine from all company-owned animals. It is one of a handful of pork processors that exports to China. Now as U.S. pork output exceeds beef for the first time in half a century, small pork producers farmers are weaning their herds off the drug.

https://www.agweb.com/mobile/article/pigs-using-muscle-drug-means-us-missing-china-pork-import-boom-blmg/

6 hours ago, alant said:

Is it really possible to raise pigs in the USA and ship them here with a lower price than local produce?

Yes it can be if the US Government Subsidize the Pig farmers like they use to do with the Corn farmers & Soybean Farmers.

Looks like 'pork barrelling' vs 'Snouts in the Trough'.

Pig heads and intestines; that is why the 'pork' imports is cheap. Even Thai's in the USA don't eat that.

5 hours ago, Srikcir said:

This may be a misleading protest at best.

As I recall, Thailand imports of US pig would only be for the head and intestines. Not the whole pig.

With limited research I found that ractopamine concentration would be found in the lungs, the kidney, spleen, heart, liver, and muscle. Muscle exhibited the lowest concentration. Example study:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/08923973.2012.702115?src=recsys&journalCode=iipi20

If accurate the Thai pork producers' protest may be an over-generalization.

11 hours ago, Juan B Tong said:

Memo to pig farmers from Minister of Tourism.

 

STOP protesting.  Thailand needs more American Pork!

Bravo, Juan. Great post 

17 hours ago, digger70 said:

Yes it can be if the US Government Subsidize the Pig farmers like they use to do with the Corn farmers & Soybean Farmers.

Charoen Pokphand made a run at U.S. pork producer Smithfield back in 2013 - they lost out/stood aside for a Chinese company.

 

Had CP won, I would imagine pork imports would have been "finessed"?

This deal doesn`t sound kosher to me.

This was why Prayuth was summond to see Trump ....... start importing from USA or we'll cut the imports from Thailand.

All part of Trumps protectionism and Thailand is way up there on the table of imbalanced trade.

In the meanwhile having a slice of Thai bacon will take care of your daily 5000mg dose of antibiotics.

I'm currently in Australia, a couple of days ago my sister prepared a pork shoulder roast. It was dry and bland, we found the vacuum wrapper and foundit was packaged in the USA. Apparently the USA is the largest world exporter of pork and it's by products.

On that note:-

Give me Thai pork any day!

If Thailand ever wants to break out of the middle income trap.... they need to end industry protection policies. Thaksin started down the path of opening up Thailand to international competition and this was the primary reason for the 2006. The military use their might to protect the established players from competition to the detriment of the nation and its millions of citizens.

does this mean that we get the head and guts of Trump and the US keep the heart and the ass