THE Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (Amad) of the Central Luzon Department of Agriculture (DA) took the lead in supporting and assisting hog dealers from the National Capital Region (NCR) to connect them with pork suppliers in Central Luzon.

Just this March 14 to 27, Amad assisted two hog dealers from NCR -- Sherlyn Francisco and Milagros Conception -- to be linked to Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines (CPF), a pork supplier from General Tinio, Nueva Ecija and Mayantoc, Tarlac that belong to the Agriculture and Fisheries Corporation of the country.

One of the goals of Market Linkage is to ensure an adequate supply of pork in Metro Manila. It also aims to assist hog dealers in responding to Executive Order 124 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 1. Under this, the price per kilo of pigue/kasim is set at P270, while liempo is P300 per kilo.

According to Amad data, about 380 pork heads weighing 37,620 kilograms and worth P8,364,479 were supplied to Metro Manila. It was sold in Quezon City, Novaliches, and Blumentrit.