HOG farmers in Mindanao pledged to supply about 3,500 metric tons (MT) of pork monthly to Metro Manila.
In a virtual presser of the Task Group on Food Security (TGFS), Department of Agriculture (DA) assistant secretary Noel Reyes, citing an update from DA undersecretary Evelyn Lavina, reported that hog farmers in Davao City committed to supplying around 500 MT of pork while the 3,000 MT will come from cities of General Santos and Cagayan de Oro.
“Surplus po nila ito. Ini-negotiate na lang po ang presyo at quality ng pork. Ito po ay pork in a box (This is their surplus. They are now negotiating for the price and quality of pork. It will be pork in a box),” he said.
Hog Farmers Association of Davao, Inc. (Hogfadi) president Eduardo So said it was the association who offered to supply pork.
“[This is] due to the slowdown of local demand of pork and oversupply of production in Mindanao. Naa man ta daghan surplus diri sa Mindanao (We have a lot of surplus here in Mindanao),” he said.
It can be recalled that hog farmers and vendors in Davao Region experienced a significant decline in sales during the onset of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in the first two months of 2020.
So said the same situation was experienced in Luzon but he is hopeful that supplying pork in these areas will be favorable to the hog farmers.
He also noted ASF has also limited the entry of imported pork and the decline in the pork demand was further worsened by the implementation of the community quarantine due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
“The decision to supply pork to Luzon is not only in Davao [Region] but from the whole Mindanao. It is our simple way of saying ‘Support local farmers first’ instead of prioritizing imported meat,” he said.
So said this would also make Luzon as an additional market for their pork products.
“Mindanao is really a net producer [of pork]. Dati, we rely on Visayas market. Unfortunately, they closed the entry of Mindanao pork that is why we have to look at other places to supply the pork,” he said.
He said negotiations are now ongoing in terms of the prices and cuttings.
He also hoped to begin supplying as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the TGSF will also help in the transport of pork from Mindanao and Visayas to Metro Manila.
Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Inc. (DCCCII) president John Carlo Tria called on the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry to “sustain stronger, long term logistics arrangements that can bring these products around the country.”