NORTHERN Mindanao Agriculture department on Saturday said it is coordinating with hog raisers in the region to help sustain the transport of surplus pork products from the island to Luzon and its other nearby areas.
This after Northern Mindanao Hog Raisers Associations, Inc. (NorMinHog) shipped 1,970 heads of hogs to Metro Manila for the month of November alone.
Earlier, DA secretary William Dar urged the department and its hog raisers to supply surplus pork from northern Mindanao to Luzon aiming to help stabilize and boost the supply and prices of pork in African swine fever or ASF-hit Luzon.
As of July 1, this year, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported, Region 10 ranks third in production at 101,911.97 metric tons next to Central Luzon and CALABARZON.
To augment supply in the area, NorMinHog president Leon Tan, Jr., said they have sustained supplying other areas in the country aside from Mindanao regions.
"There is enough supply of hog in Bukidnon as the production area,” said Tan, adding that the supply will come as long as the government will continue to protect the industry.
Tan said the limitations of hog vans are the challenges they encountered during shipments that accommodated by Oceanic Container Lines.
Aside from the Luzon market, Norminhog has been supplying Samar, Leyte and the Caraga region.
“For now, we are only asking DA and LGU’s support in protecting the remaining green zones in the country,” Tan said, adding that their major problem is Mindanao, where some areas were affected with ASF.
Tan appealed to the government to give more attention to the deadly ASF virus considering the P19 billion swine industry in the entire Northern Mindanao.
“Given the availability of vessels and favorable conditions, we can supply other areas,” said Tan.
Tan said Norminhog and the government need to work together to suppress the disease and help countrymen, especially in Luzon with their supply.
DA-10 regional executive director Carlene C. Collado said, amid the ASF threat, hog supply remains stable in the region.
“We closely work with the local government and continue to strictly monitor the possible entry of pork and its by-products from other areas in Mindanao,” said Collado.
Collado said that Bukidnon alone has established 13 provincial veterinary sanitation checkpoints to ensure all entry points will be monitored.
As of December 1, DA-10’s hog price monitoring, through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), the average buying price of live weight hogs for commercial farms pegged at P99 per kilogram, while backyard farms at an average of P108.30 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, DA-10 regional technical director for operations Carlota S. Madriaga said Secretary Dar asked the region’s commitment to increase the shipment of hogs from 1800 to 3600 heads per week.
“We are constrained because of the limited number of hog vans and shipping vessels” said Madriaga.
“Norminhog is committed if the hog vans and vessels will be augmented,” said Madriaga adding that the region have more than enough supply of pork through Norminhog.
Madriaga also said the local price might be affected but not so much because of the high demands from external markets.
This will not go up as high as expected because of the purchasing power of the consumers during this time of pandemic, according to Madriaga. (Angie T. Cabig)
