Customs officials in Thailand have trained dogs to sniff for pork to prevent the meat from being smuggled across the border from Laos.
The sniffer dogs have been deployed at a border checkpoint in Sirindohorn, a district of Ubon Ratchathani Province, according to the Thaiger.
Thailand is facing a pork shortage after a wave of African Swine Fever (ASF) swept through the country.
The disease has infected pigs across 13 provinces, with farmers being forced to slaughter and bury pig carcasses to prevent the spread of the disease.
Thai companies have begun hoarding pork, while some 20 tonnes of pork was uncovered being smuggled to Thailand from Savannakhet, Laos last month.
The smuggled pork was valued at over BHT 4 million (USD 120,000) but had to be destroyed by authorities.
Pork prices in Thailand have skyrocketed, with consumers in Thailand turning to crocodile meat as an alternative.
Crocodile farms are now cashing in on the pork crisis, with increased local demand diverting the meat from its usual export base in China.
At the same time, authorities in Laos have issued a statement on rising pork prices in Vientiane Capital, saying insufficient supply in neighboring countries has begun to affect Laos.
Market prices in Vientiane ranged between LAK 37,000 and LAK 45,000 per kilogram in December 2021, rising to LAK 50,000 per kilogram in under a month.
