THE Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas continues to work on helping the country revive its hog industry and reduce pork prices by shipping out supply of the commodity from the region, its top official said.
DA-Western Visayas Director Remelyn Recoter, in her Facebook post, said a total of 20 hog vans with 1,600 heads were shipped out to Luzon via port in Iloilo City Monday morning, February 15.
Recoter said this is in support of President Rodrigo Duterte's Executive Order 124 that mandated a price ceiling on selected pork and chicken products in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Agriculture Secretary William Dar's Memorandum Order 13 on transport support.
"The shipment is part of the Whole of Nation measures to revive the hog industry and reduce pork prices," she said, adding that this is also part of the supply chain, mobilizing stocks from surplus areas aside from the transport support and price ceiling.
Signed by Duterte last February 1, EO 124 imposes a 60-day price ceiling on pork and chicken products in Metro Manila.
Under which, a price ceiling of P270 per kilogram for kasim/pigue, P300 per kilo for liempo, and P160 per kilo for dressed chicken is being implemented.
The DA earlier said that in approving the EO, Duterte noted that the reduced local pork output due to the outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF) has significantly affected the supply and prices of pork in the market.
EO 124 also stated that the current retail prices of basic necessities in the National Capital Region such as pork and chicken have increased significantly, causing undue burden to Filipinos, especially the underprivileged and marginalized.
Meanwhile, the latest shipment of the region to Luzon markets accounts for the stocks of various local hog suppliers including the Sibalom Livestock and Poultry Producers Association in Sibalom, Antique.
Others are from the backyard raisers from the Provinces of Aklan, Capiz and Iloilo in Panay Island. Negrense hogs are shipped out from the port in Bacolod City.
Recoter said that aside from shipping out supply from the region to augment that in other areas where stocks are deficit, other measures taken by the agency to help revive the country's hog industry included prioritizing local production by re-population especially the green zones.
It is also banking on the implementation of "Bantay ASF sa Barangay," financing and hog insurance, food diversification or growing and raising protein substitutes, Recoter said.
"Importation is the last resort," she added.