Cebu City fish vendors report rise in sales since ASF detection in city

SELLING FISH. A fish vendor entertains a customer at the Carbon Public Market in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City on Sunday, March 26, 2023. / KAISER JAN FUENTES
SELLING FISH. A fish vendor entertains a customer at the Carbon Public Market in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City on Sunday, March 26, 2023. / KAISER JAN FUENTES

FISH sales in Cebu City’s public markets have gone up since the African swine fever (ASF) was detected in the city.

“Mas arang-arang gyud ang palit kay gumikan sa mga taw dili na mokaon og baboy tungod sa ASF (Our sales have gotten better because people are afraid to eat pork),” Rosalina Quizon, a 44-year-old fish vendor at the Carbon Public Market, told SunStar Cebu on Sunday, March 26, 2023

Quizon said that she can now sell up to six banyeras or fish tubs a day from just selling four banyeras before.

Each fish tub contains around 30 kilos of all sorts of fish like hinok, tabangko and tamarong.

For a vendor in T. Padilla Public Market, he said that from two fish tubs he can now sell up to three a day to customers.

“Nakita gyud nako nga usahay kusog-kusog gyud ang halin namo gamay. Mas palit gyud karon, mas arang-arang ang isda karon (Our sales have gotten better compared before now that more people are buying fish),” said Lyle Tunggamos, who has been selling fish for the last 15 years.

He pointed out that prices now are much lower compared to last week.

Before, prices ranged from P200 to P240 per kilo depending on the kind of fish. Now, he said the cheapest fish sells for P140 per kilo.

He said there is no shortage of supply because “ang buwan dili hayag,” or the moon is not full, which means a bounty catch awaits fisherfolks.

Tunggamos gets his supply of fish at the Bagasakan sa SRP (South Road Properties) in Cebu City.

For Carlo Suratos, a college student who helps run his family’s fish stall at a market along B. Rodriguez St., he said there are days when their sales go up.

Sometimes, they can sell up to 60 kilos of fish, he said, but that doesn’t happen every day. On average, they sell 40 kilos daily, he said.

He also said prices have gone down.

Last week, he said fish was selling for P250 per kilo and above, while prices now are between P140 and P160 for fish like bodboron or tamarong.

Suratos said they get their supply at the Pasil Fish Port in Cebu City.

Pork meat price

Bernadette Lauron, a 58-year-old meat vendor who was first interviewed by SunStar Cebu last week March 19, said there are no changes in the price of pork meat.

She said that as of March 26, both lean meat and meat with fat are still P330 per kilo.

“Kung taasan namo ang presyo wala nay mamalit (We are afraid that if we raise prices people will stop buying),” said Lauron, adding that she did not raise prices even though her supplier in Compostela imposed a P20 increase per kilo.

Lauron admitted that she feels threatened by the competition posed by a popular meat shop in front of the public market.

She said prices at the shop is cheaper by around P20 to P40 per kilo, depending on the cut of the meat.

“Mas barato sa ilaha kay naa man gud na sila ilahang kaugalingon nga farm unya ang uban customer pilion nga adto na lang mopalit (Their price is cheaper since they have their own farm, so some customers opt to buy from them),” she said.

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