Pork brokers urged to buy beta-agonist free pork

BANGKOK, June 8 (TNA) – The Livestock Development Department urged pork brokers not to buy from farms, using beta-agonists for the safety for consumers. Jirasak Pipatpongsophon, deputy department chief presided over the meeting with pork brokers. They were asked not to buy pork from farms, using beta-agonists, feed additives to encourage muscle leanness in pigs in line with the food safety policy of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry. The department will find the way to increase prices of beta-agonist free pork, sold from the farms to encourage pig raisers to stop using the feed additives. Officials are also inspecting pig farms nationwide and will suppress the use of beta-agonists in farms and animal feed producers. Meanwhile, brokers called for the authorities to address pork oversupply and the price drop. With demand for pork in neighbouring countries, the department ordered customs officials at border to accelerate the process of clearance and release of goods and to provide support in export operations of pork to those countries. (TNA)