Wholesalers of the meat industry have increased the purchase of bacon in the lead up the end of the year festive season, Fiji Pig Association has said.
“This is a good sign,” association president, Simon Cole, said.
“But while there are positive signs, we are not there yet.
“We are not banking on a normal Christmas but expect to see more normal tourism numbers by Easter next year.”
Piggeries have set aside loins and bellies to put the sector in a comfortable position to meet the Christmas demand from hotels, Mr Cole said.
“We are also now storing legs to make Christmas hams.”
The sector recorded a growth of 223 per cent in the domestic consumption of pork over the last 18 months.
However, prices were still below levels earlier in the year, Mr Cole said.
“This was achieved by competitive pricing by all butchers and the opening of new pork outlets in areas where pork was previously not sold,” he said.
Faced with no choice, the sector had to reduce prices by as much as 50 per cent to increase sales,” Mr Cole said.
“Additionally, we continue to carry the burden of the cost of feeding the pigs even with the much smaller market.
“With tourism, we received top prices selling to the top end of the market, but that no longer exists.
“Some of our major producers have cut production by as much as 40 per cent.
“And many of our small commercial piggeries have gone out of business.”
When international tourism returns in December, the pork market expects to meet some semblance of pre-COVID-19 orders, Mr Cole.