Despite the theft of hundreds of piglets from major pig farms in Trinidad, the owners have bounced back and are in a position to supply enough hams and pork products for Christmas.
Three months ago a ring of pig thieves entered several farms and stole the piglets which were being culled for the Christmas season.
Police in the affected areas went into action, and although they did not arrest anyone they were able to suppress the attacks, the owners said
Ian Leong Poi, President of the Pork and Pork Producers Association said recently: "Pig farmers were hit with severe losses and apart from the vigilance of the police the large farms were forced to spend thousands of dollars fencing their properties and setting bright lights throughout the farms."
He added: "We have recovered from the losses but now we are faced with labour shortages. CEPEP is now controlling the labour market and workers are not prepared to work for less than $200 a day." CEPEP is the State-run Community Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme, responsible mainly for maintaining verges.
Leong Poi said several farmers went out of the pig business last year because of the steep increase in the price of pig feed. "When the price went from $80 for a 100 -pound bag to $140, many farmers found it uneconomical to rear pigs for sale."
He said pig production in Trinidad had increased slightly.
"We are now producing about four million pounds of pork a year, that represents an increase of five per cent." Leong Poi said farmers in Trinidad were enjoying the benefit of exporting meat to Guyana and Suriname. He said the sale of hams had already shown an increase over last year's sales.
