KOTA KINABALU: Some 10 pig farms around Sabah have spent over RM2.6 million to import 160 pigs from Ireland in efforts to improve the quality and production of pigs in Sabah.
These 160 boars and sows were flown in from Ireland to Kota Kinabalu after transiting Singapore last October, and have been distributed to around 10 large-scale and smaller farms in the State.
A local pig farm operator, who wished to remain unnamed, said the imported pigs have begun breeding. He went on to explain that pig farms in Sabah would import quality pig breeds every five years.
“This is because the piglets produced by the existing sows will deteriorate over time,” he said, adding that newer pig breeds would reproduce more piglets that grew faster.
According to him, pigs from Ireland cost around RM9,000 for a boar and RM8,000 for a sow, which amounted to RM2.6 million for the 160 imported pigs.
At present, there are three large-scale pig farms and about seven smaller farms in Sabah.
“Around 95 percent of the farms took part in the import of Ireland pig breeds.”