Bali Moves to Improve Pig Supply Chain to Meet Tourism Industry Demand

BALI — The Bali Provincial Government is beginning to improve the governance of the island’s pig supply chain, from farms to consumers, as part of efforts to raise the quality of local pork and increase its absorption by the tourism industry.

The initiative was discussed during a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Denpasar. The forum focused on improving the pig supply chain through a One Health and Welfare approach.

The discussion brought together stakeholders from the Ministry of Agriculture, academics, farmers, industry associations, local governments and waste-processing companies.

Bali Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) Head Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi said the improvement would cover the entire pig production chain, including animal husbandry, housing conditions, slaughtering practices, animal health, waste management and distribution.

The need for better management is significant given Bali’s large pig population. Data from 2025 shows that Bali produced around 433,481 pigs.

Between 2020 and 2025, Bali also accounted for between 39.5 percent and 61.7 percent of Indonesia’s national pork production, making the island one of the country’s major pork-producing regions.

However, Dharmadi said large production numbers must be accompanied by better supply-chain management to ensure consistent quality.

He noted that locally produced pork does not always meet the specifications required by the market, particularly the tourism and hospitality sector. Improper slaughtering practices, for example, can cause animals to experience stress, potentially affecting meat quality and processed products such as Balinese suckling pig, or babi guling.

Certification Becomes Key to Hotel Market

The tourism industry, particularly five-star hotels, has specific requirements for meat suppliers, including certification and food safety standards.

“Certification. And of course, when we talk about certification, we are talking about the standards expected by hotels and restaurants,” Dharmadi said.

He believes meeting those standards could create a greater economic opportunity for Bali’s traditional pig farmers.

Restrictions on bringing pork products from outside Bali could further increase opportunities for local producers, provided they are able to improve the quality and consistency of their products.

Dharmadi said better production standards could help traditional farmers improve both the value of their livestock and their household incomes.

Veterinarian Certification and Skilled Butchers Needed

Director of Veterinary Public Health at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health, I Ketut Wirata, said one of the main challenges in connecting Balinese pork producers with the hotel and restaurant sector is certification.

The Veterinary Control Number (NKV) is an important component of the animal-product supply chain. For pork, NKV certification applies to slaughterhouses, processing units and distribution businesses.

“It is not that we are unable to compete. We simply have not yet been able to provide the specifications required by HOREKA,” Wirata said, referring to the hotel, restaurant and catering sector.

He explained that the hospitality industry requires specific meat qualities and cuts, including premium cuts such as pork belly skin off.

Therefore, improving the supply chain will require more than physical infrastructure. Skilled workers capable of slaughtering and cutting pork according to industry specifications are also needed.

“We are not only investing in infrastructure, but also in human resources. We need to provide training and develop butchers who can produce the cuts required by HOREKA,” Wirata said.

Pig Waste Management Also Part of the Supply Chain

The proposed reforms also address environmental issues associated with pig farming.

Dharmadi said poorly managed livestock waste can cause odors and pollution and potentially affect public health and tourism activities.

Addressing the issue, he said, requires intervention at the farm level rather than focusing only on downstream waste management.

Pig manure and other livestock waste can also be processed into useful products, including biogas.

Dharmadi stressed that waste disposal must comply with applicable regulations, while small-scale traditional and household farms could be supported to adopt better waste-management practices.

Traditional Villages Encouraged to Build Slaughterhouses

Bali’s traditional villages, or desa adat, are also being encouraged to play a role in developing the pig supply chain.

One proposal is the development of slaughterhouses that could involve companies with expertise in certification and pork quality.

Dharmadi said slaughterhouse facilities could also support the economic independence of traditional villages through local revenue and strengthen the role of traditional communities in the livestock economy.

Wirata said Bali already has an important advantage: a large pig population.

With better governance, certification, infrastructure and skilled workers, he believes Bali can strengthen its position in the national pork supply chain.

“I hope the pig industry can become the host in Bali,” Wirata said.

He also expressed an ambitious long-term vision: that Bali could eventually become a benchmark for pork prices.

“We just need to build good governance. Then Bali could determine the price of pork per kilogram in the world. If that happens, it would be extraordinary,” he said.