SHIPMENT of hogs from Negros Occidental to Luzon, particularly in Metro Manila, continues.
Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said there is no order yet from Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to stop supplying hogs to the Luzon market.
Decena said that in fact, the province was still able to ship out via ports in cities of Escalante, Sagay and Bacolod on Saturday, January 30.
In a report to the governor Monday, February 1, the provincial veterinarian said that for the whole month of January, a total of 6,894 hogs were shipped out by the province to different destinations in Luzon and Visayas.
A total of 102 hog vans and 120 trucks used for the shipment were disinfected upon arrival at different ports of entry, the report added.
"The decision to stop the shipment is through an Executive Order (EO) by the governor just like what the Cebu Provincial Government has implemented before. They stopped the hog supply outside their province for six months," he said, adding that "we will implement such EO in case."
Members of the Alliance of Hog Raisers Associations in Negros Occidental (Ahrano), in an earlier reports, have agreed to temporarily stop supplying hogs to Manila.
Its president Ric Lauron said the move is seen to bring down the price of pork in the province.
Based on the latest report of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), there was an increase of P15.69 per kilo compared to its cost during the last two weeks.
From an average price of P204.76 and P213. 40 per kilo on January 18 and 25, respectively, the prevailing market price of pork per kilo is P220.45.
The highest price of the commodity was noted in Bacolod City, at P260 per kilo.
Decena, however, pointed out that Lauron's pronouncement was just his personal stand as Ahrano president because their Himamaylan Hog Association no longer have market hogs of 80 kilograms and above for Luzon.
"Other local [hog] associations have enough," he stressed, adding that their recent meeting with the governor was just to assure the public that there was enough hog supply for the province.
When asked if there was a need to stop the shipment amid the surging prices of local hogs, Decena said "not really because 60 to 70 percent of the shipment to Manila is from commercial raisers and we are still surplus in supply."
Once the price cap of the national government takes effect, the buying price of live hogs will also go down, he added.