The Fiji Pig Farmers Association believes the number of small pig farmers will drop in the next few months.

President Simon Cole says there are about 30,000 small and 30 commercial farmers, but many are expected to leave the business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He adds pork demand has dropped over the last four months.

“Typically, we consume about three and a half thousand tons of pork a year of which 2,700 tons are produced locally. The demand now is 2,000 tons so there is an over-supply now of about 700 tons in the industry and that has forced the prices down.”

Cole says the influx of pork has seen prices tumbling, which could harm the industry in the long run.

Fiji’s pig industry has taken a massive hit due to COVID-19, with an estimated sixty-percent of the local market for pork sales having been lost.