Plans in hand to brand local pork

Plans are in hand for local pork to be branded to let consumers know they are buying quality fresh meat, according to Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino.

Speaking at the Pig Breeders Cooperative’s (KIM) annual general meeting on Sunday, Mr Pullicino underlined the importance of consumers being able to distinguish between local and foreign produce.

Consumers were reaping the benefits of a genetic change, he added, that had been implemented in pig stocks over the years, meaning local pork contained less fat now than it did a few years ago.

An artificial insemination laboratory was opened last February and was already showing “very encouraging results”.

“The artificial insemination process has seen higher production levels, the incidence of disease among pig stocks declining and production costs dipping,” Mr Pullicino said.

Last week, Labour spokesman for farming and fishing, Joe Sammut claimed that some pig farmers were providing young livestock for slaughter because they were being asked to send animals to the abattoir too frequently, while others were being given manageable times.

“The government is bound to investigate this discriminatory situation, and if it does not, there would be no doubt left as to whether GonziPN was complicit in it,” said Dr Sammut.

In its reaction, the government said Dr Sammut clearly did not know what he was talking about, because registration for pig slaughter were KIM’s responsibility.

“The KIM has long taken care of this registration and it would have been more appropriate for Dr Sammut to inform himself on how the cooperative runs the slaughtering process prior to making unfounded allegations on the eve of its annual general meeting,” the Rural Affairs Ministry said.

The KIM said it wished to put Dr Sammut’s mind at rest saying there was no discrimination among pig breeders, adding it would have been much more appropriate for him to get in touch with the cooperative to have the registration process explained to him.