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Two trucks each containing 130 heads of live hogs left Koronadal, South Cotabato, over the weekend headed for Metro Manila
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The shipment, expected to help tamp down pork shortage and high prices, will arrive at Manila ports early this week
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An African Swine Fever outbreak has decimated hog populations in some parts of Luzon, causing pork shortage and skyrocketing prices
The transport of hogs from Visayas, Mindanao and some parts of Luzon, including Batangas, to Metro Manila markets has begun to help tamp down pork shortage and high prices, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said over the weekend.
On February 6, Agriculture Secretary William Dar together with Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock William Medrano and Region 12 Executive Director Arlan Mangalen led the send-off of two trucks each containing 130 heads of live hogs, weighing a total of 26.4 metric tons.
The hogs, courtesy of the Koronadal Valley Livestock Growers, are expected to arrive at Manila ports early this week.
The hogs will be sold at the ceiling price set by Executive Order 124. Under EO 124, a 60-day price cap on pork and chicken products has been mandated in the National Capital Region. The order took effect on February 8 and implements the price ceiling of P270 per kilogram for pork kasim/pigue, P300 per kg for liempo, and P160 per kg for dressed chicken.
READ: 60-day price ceiling for pork, chicken set in NCR
An African Swine Fever outbreak has decimated hog population in some parts of Luzon, causing pork shortage and skyrocketing prices. Prices of chicken have also risen due to a shift in demand for poultry.
Agriculture Secretary William Dar met hog producers from the Soccsksargen region over the weekend to discuss strategies to revive the hog industry and reduce prices of pork. “With these initiatives, we are helping the hog raisers and those involved in the supply chain to earn, while providing consumers access to affordable meat and meat products,” Dar said in a statement.
He noted, “Other provinces from Visayas including Iloilo have also shipped off 600 heads last night (Feb 5) to fill the supply gap currently being experienced in Luzon.”
Representatives from DA are set to have a dialogue with Luzon raisers on February 8 for the possible transport of hogs from San Jose, Batangas.
To date, there are about 41,953 heads of hogs available from the San Jose piggeries.
Clinton Edward Ang, president of the South Cotabato Swine Producers’ Association said they are willing to work with DA, in the transport and delivery of live hogs and carcasses to Luzon, initially at 10,000 hogs a week.
