THE Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is set to meet with Baguio City officials to look into the possibility of implementing price ceiling for pork.
But this will still be ironed out when DA-CAR and members of the Baguio City Council meet on Monday, February 15, as Regional Director Cameron Odsey encouraged Cordillerans to look for other sources of protein as an alternative to pork products due to lack of supply brought about by the African Swine Fever (ASF).
Odsey said rural areas in CAR have sufficient supply of pork due to backyard hog raising, while supply is lesser in centers like Baguio City, which have earlier banned the practice of backyard hog raising.
"ASF have affected 22 municipalities out of the 77 in the country and of the six provinces in the region, except for Abra and Apayao which are considered as protected areas, six municipalities were affected. In terms of supply, our problem is Baguio and Benguet whose supply comes from Region 1," Odsey said.
Odsey said the six municipalities affected by ASF in the region have undergone culling with hog raisers qualified for indemnity.
Culling is done to prevent the spread of ASF to other areas, while the raising of hogs in identified areas are suspended for six months.
Odsey said aside from Baguio and Benguet, hog raisers from Ilocos also supply different markets in Metro Manila.
"We had a dialogue with the Baguio City Veterinary Office including the Bureau of Animal Industry-National Meat Inspection Service on how to ensure the continued and sufficient supply to Baguio City," Odsey said.
Based on DA-CAR's data on livestock and poultry, the region's self sufficient on pork was recorded at 28.9 percent with beef at 62 percent, six percent on poultry and 2.55 percent for eggs.
At present, DA is continuously revitalizing hog raising in areas where no ASF cases have been recorded.
DA noted that based on experiences by other country's that were hit by ASF like Europe, it took them around 10 years before they were able to control ASF.
"Until we have not return to providing the normal supply, the present situation will remain which is why on the side of the DA, what we encourage is for the people to look for other sources of protein as an alternative for meat products like chicken," Odsey added.