BUTTERWORTH: A pork sale has attracted more than 2,000 people to a basketball court inside a temple at Taman Segemal, Butterworth on Sunday.

More than 13,000 kg of fresh pork was sold out in four hours despite the heavy rain.

Some even arrived at the basketball court to line up before dawn to buy pork ribs, pork belly and knuckles cheaper than the market price by RM10 per kilogram.

Each person is entitled to buying up to 1 kg of pork belly and 3 kg of other types of meat.

This is the first pork sale held in the country in conjunction with the dragon boat festival when Chinese families celebrate by eating rice dumplings.

A total of 22 hawkers took part in the sale organized by Lim Guan Eng’s service center in Bagan parliament constituency, along with volunteers from Thang Loong Group and pork hawkers from six wet markets in Bagan.

Lim has contributed RM40,000 himself, while Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin RM30,000.

Bagan Jermal assemblyman Soon Lip Chee, Bagan Dalam assemblyman M. Satees and Sungai Puyu assemblyman Phee Boon Poh have each chipped in RM20,000.

One of the reasons that have sent the price of pork soaring is the shortage in supply caused by the African swine outbreak.

To curb the outbreak, infected pigs are culled and this has resulted in near-term supply shortage.

Chan said huge sums of money are required to help pig farmers transform their operations, and that the government has discussed during national food security meetings to explore ways to provide subsidies and aids to assist the farmers.

Chan also said it would take time and measures in place for the supply and price of pork to return to normal.