Vendors note less customers buying pork

DAVAO. Pork meat vendors at Bankerohan Public Market observed fewer customers since Monday, January 3 after the case of African Swine Fever broke out in Davao Occidental and Davao del Sur during the weekend. (Photo by Roberto A. Gumba Jr.)
DAVAO. Pork meat vendors at Bankerohan Public Market observed fewer customers since Monday, January 3 after the case of African Swine Fever broke out in Davao Occidental and Davao del Sur during the weekend. (Photo by Roberto A. Gumba Jr.)

PORK meat vendors observed a decline of customers since African Swine Fever (ASF) broke out in Davao Occidental and Davao del Sur this weekend but chicken meat vendors noted no shift in meat consumption.

Marilyn Fuentes, a pork meat vendor in Bangkerohan Public Market, said the customers started declining on Monday, February 3.

She said it compelled them to slaughter fewer hogs to sell.

“Dati 10 ka baboy ang among ginamatada, karon seven na lang gyud. Naapektuhan gyud sa ASF. Asta gyung mingawa (Before, we slaughter 10 hogs, now we reduced it to seven. We are really affected by the ASF. There were fewer customers),” she said.

She said despite the decrease in their stall display, she is still left with more meat.

“Pito lang gani among matada ron nabinlan pa gyud mi. Naa pa mi nauli sa balay mga 40 to 50 kilos (Now, even if we only slaughtered about seven heads, we were still left with around 40 to 50 kilograms),” she said.

She said eatery business owners who source out meat from her also complained because fewer people have been consuming pork.

Maribel Ceballos, another pork meat vendor in Bangkerohan Public Market shared the same sentiments.

“Usually, walo among ginaihaw. Dako nag diperensya karon. Mga katunga ang mabilin karon sukad nahitabo tong ASF (We slaughter eight heads and since the ASF outbreak, around half is left unsold),” she said.

Ceballos said in previous days, only around one head or less will be left as the day ends.

Jofelyn Valdez, who is auditing sales in one of the meat shops in Bangkerohan, noticed a slight decline in sales. They have also lessened the number of pigs they slaughter to be sold at their meat shop.

“Naa puy uban nga deliveries namo sa mga restaurant, hinay ilang kuha. Kanang sa mga mall. Kusog baya na sila mag order. Naay mga regular nga delivery pero nag-reduce gamay (Restaurants in malls are sourcing out fewer this time. Our regular deliveries slightly reduced),” she said.

She said from 25 heads per day, they have slaughtered around 22 to 23 heads a few days ago.

However, despite the decline of customers of pork meat, the prices remained the same.

Based on the price monitoring of the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-Davao Region) Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Division (Amad) as of January 15, retail prices for pierna is at P200 to P220 per kilogram (kg) while the price of pork belly is at P220 per kg to P240 per kg.

Meanwhile, the chicken meat vendors noted no increase in the number of their customers despite the ASF outbreak.

“So far among benta parehas ra man gihapon. Naa pud gyud siguro pero dili gyud ingon ana kay sa sales lang among basehan, parehas lang (So far our sales remained stable),” Marita Derayel, an owner of a chicken meat shop bared.

She said while the price of chicken meat dropped in February 2020 from December last year and January this year, it was due to the Christmas season and its usual fluctuating price trend.

She said the price of chicken meat in December 2019 to January 2020 is at P160 to P150/kg.

As of February 5, the price of the whole chicken is at around P137 to 138 per kilogram (kg); chicken breast at P143 to P144/kg; quarter legs at P138 to P143/kg; chicken wings at P155/kg; chicken thighs at P155 to P132/kg; and drumstick at P155/kg.

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