Hog raisers’ pig supply in Luzon is “almost depleted” due to African Swine Fever (ASF), according to a group of pork producers in the country.
On Teleradyo, Nicanor Briones, vice president of the Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, said that 70 percent of the estimated 7.5 million pigs in Luzon were affected, based on their estimates.
“Halos naubos na ang mga inahin at mga alagang baboy ng ating mga backyard at commercial raisers sa buong Luzon dahil sa African Swine Fever, hindi dahil sa tinamaan ng sakit pero dahil kusang nag-alis ng alaga, dahil sila ay tinamaan, talagang bankrupt ka kapag tinamaan ng sakit na iyan dahil walang gamot,” said Briones.
The group also complained that the assistance of the Department of Agriculture (DA) was not enough so many hog raisers allegedly stopped doing business.
Some markets in Manila sell up to P350 per kilo of pork due to limited supply.
The DA stressed that they will continue to assist those affected by ASF.
“Nagbibigay po kami ng P5,000, ‘yun pong sinasabi ni Ka Nick (Briones) na wala ay meron naman po, kulang-kulang isang bilyon na po ang nailaan diyan, may proseso ho kasi ang pagbabayad,” said Agriculture Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes.
Supply of hog raisers in Luzon ‘almost depleted’ due to ASF: group
Due to the high price, some buyers, like Ato Herrera, buy chicken for now.
The DA assured that they are making ways to address the shortage of pork supply.
“Tuluy-tuloy po, sir, nagpapadala pa rin po tayo ng baboy mula sa Visayas at Mindanao,” said Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista.
“Mayroon po tayong Kadiwa meat, ito po ay pasok sa ating SRP at ito po ay alternative place para makabili po sila ng baboy na tama po ang presyo,” she added.
The DA also appealed to traders not to increase the price too much so that the price does not rise in the market.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Veterinary Office in South Cotabato clarified that there are no cases of African Swine Fever in their province.
This is contrary to the first statement of the Agricultural Industry Association.
According to the Provincial Veterinary Office of South Cotabato, pigs with ASF from other areas have been reported entering the province. But they immediately controlled it.